Lufthansa pilots have agreed not to strike again until 2023
Lufthansa has struck a deal with its pilots to stave off any more strikes until at least next summer.
The carrier's disgruntled staff members had threatened to walk out once again if Lufthansa did not meet their demands for a pay raise; this occurred two weeks after their last strike, which reportedly cost Lufthansa about $32 million.
The German flagship airline tabled a new offer of a monthly basic pay rise of $978 by April 2023, equaling a 20% wage bump for rookies and 5.5% for captains.
German pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit accepted the deal, promising a strike moratorium until June 30 next year.
The agreement also includes a comprehensive peace obligation until June 30, 2023. Strikes are excluded during this period. This gives customers and employees planning security, according to Lufthansa.
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"Both collective bargaining partners will continue their constructive exchange on various topics during this time," the airline said.
It said the small print of the deal will remain confidential and is "still subject to detailed formulation and approval by the responsible bodies."
The news brings to an end a fraught few weeks for Germany's largest airline.
Last Wednesday, the airline narrowly averted a strike by both the airline's commercial and cargo pilots with an olive branch in the form of a new deal from Lufthansa. The strike was canceled to give both sides time to further evaluate the offer on the table.
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If it had gone ahead, it would have been the second of its kind within a week; it would've followed the walkout on Sept. 4 which led to the cancellation of about 800 flights and affected some 130,000 travelers. Lufthansa said that action cost it $31.9 million.
Another strike would, Lufthansa said at the time, have had "massive consequences" for its flight plan.
Instead, the airline expressed its relief, adding that it can now concentrate on getting passengers to where they want to go, as planned and on time.
"We now want to use the next few months in a trusting dialogue with Vereinigung Cockpit to find and implement sustainable solutions," the airline's human resources and labor director Michael Niggemann added.
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