Lufthansa has reached an agreement with the pilots’ union Vereiningung Cockpit on an initial package of measures to tackle the coronavirus crisis, which envisages reducing costs and avoiding redundancies until at least March 2021.
This agreement, which will apply to pilots from Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa Aviation Training and some from Germanwings, includes cost reduction measures until the end of 2020. Starting in September, the company will reduce part-time compensation and pension plan contributions. In addition, the collective wage increases agreed for this year will be postponed until 2021.
The airline group also says that operational layoffs will not come until the second quarter of 2021. Specifically, until March 31 the company will not take action on the excess of pilots, but points out that this surplus of personnel will be extended throughout the year.
It therefore indicates that redundancies for operational reasons can only be avoided if another agreement is reached with the pilots to deal with the crisis in the long term, in which, for example, this surplus of workers could be compensated for by a reduction in working hours or pay during the crisis period.
At the same time, Lufthansa has announced that it will refrain from hiring new pilots from outside the group in all German flight operations as long as there is a surplus of staff.
The company has indicated that it is continuing negotiations with the more advanced cabin crew unions (TCP) at Germanwings, which will not continue to operate after the effects of the coronavirus crisis.
By EuropaPress
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