Germany: Lufthansa strike grounds hundreds of flights

"Hundreds of Lufthansa planes will stay on the ground on Thursday amid an all-day strike by pilots and flight attendants. The strike comes as the airline's efforts to cut costs and become more profitable have put it in conflict with unions. The number of flights affected by the industrial action remains unclear, with the company initially speaking only of "numerous cancellations." Some flights are still to take place from larger airports, such as those in Frankfurt and Berlin."

"On its website, Lufthansa has said passengers should first ascertain the status of their flight before heading to an airport. The airline said it would try to rebook affected passengers on flights operated by the group's other airlines or partner airlines. The company said flight bookings could also be changed into train tickets with the national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, at no extra cost."

"The some 4,800 pilots working at Lufthansa and its freight arm, Lufthansa Cargo, are seeking to pressure their employers into paying higher contributions to their retirement benefits. A clear majority of members of the German pilots' union VC declared their readiness to strike in a vote last year. The president of VC, Andreas Pinheiro, said that "we would very much have liked to avoid an escalation" and that the union had always been ready to talk."

Hundreds of Lufthansa planes will remain grounded on Thursday due to an all-day strike by pilots and flight attendants. The airline's cost-cutting and profitability measures have provoked conflicts with unions and resulted in numerous cancellations, although some flights from major airports such as Frankfurt and Berlin may still operate. Passengers are advised to check flight status before travelling. Lufthansa will attempt to rebook affected passengers on group or partner flights and can convert bookings into Deutsche Bahn train tickets at no extra cost. Flights were not expected to return to normal until Friday. About 4,800 pilots seek higher employer contributions to retirement benefits, and the UFO union has called roughly 20,000 CityLine staff to strike over planned shutdowns and refusal to negotiate a collective social plan.

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