Pilots working for German airline Lufthansa, the parent company of Belgium’s flag carrier Brussels Airlines, have given the green light for new strikes, according to the Vereinigung Cockpit union.
The pilots are set to go on strike over demands for higher wages from the company. As of yet there are no concrete plans for strike action, however August is the busiest month for holiday travels and the strikes could cause chaos at European airports.
The union has stated that the strikes would be “a signal that cannot be ignored.” At the end of July, Lufthansa ground staff had already conducted a massive strike, leading to cancellations for more than 130,000 passengers. Vereinigung Cockpit hopes to restart negotiations with the airline with “even more support from the base.”
The German airline currently employs around 5,500 pilots. A staggering 97.6% of those working in the passenger segment of the airline support the strike, and 99.3% in the cargo section.
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The pilots are demanding an extra 5.5% more wages this year, as well as automatic wage indexation in line with inflation. The union is also demanding greater job security for their pilots.
In a similar move, ground staff went on strike on 27 July demanding 9.5% more wages.
