At Lufthansa subsidiary Discover, the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has threatened further strike action this summer. The Frankfurt VC announces that a vote on wage and general collective bargaining demands should first be initiated.
Discover departs from Frankfurt and Munich only
The relatively small holiday airline Discover, with 24 Airbus jets and around 420 pilots, only flies from Frankfurt and Munich and intends to compete primarily with Condor in the tourism sector. The VC wants to impose a first collective agreement on the airline, founded in summer 2021. The situation is similar in the locker room, for which the UFO section union is seeking a collective agreement.
The Cockpit association, which is very powerful at the parent company, also wants to prevent an agreement from being reached with the competing union Verdi. However, there has already been a corresponding decision by Lufthansa management to sign an agreement with Verdi, the VC said. A spokesperson for the company explained that there is still no collective agreement with any union for Discover Airlines pilots. It is not possible to comment on the ongoing negotiations.
VC last hit Discover in February of this year
VC Chairman Andreas Pinheiro called the alleged decision of the management completely incomprehensible. There have been constructive negotiations for a year and a half. “The fact that collective bargaining now takes place with a union that has no support among the workforce may at first glance seem easier for the employer, but it will not lead to a sustainable solution.”