Lufthansa pilots suspend strikes through June 2023

BERLIN (AFP): Lufthansa pilots will not strike again until at least the end of June next year under a pay deal negotiated with the airline, the two sides said Monday.

The agreement “includes a comprehensive peace obligation until 30 June 2023”, with strikes “excluded during this period”, Lufthansa said in a statement.

The airline and the pilots’ union Cockpit signed an accord in early September to avoid planned industrial action.

The deal sees basic pay for pilots at Lufthansa and its cargo subsidiary climb by 980 euros ($993) in two equal steps, once retroactively for August 2022 and again in April 2023.

A rookie copilot will see wages increase by 20 percent under the agreed plan, while the raise for a seasoned pilot will be equivalent to 5.5 percent, according to Lufthansa.

The two sides “will continue their constructive exchange on various topics” while the deal is in place, Lufthansa said.

Beyond the pay agreement, the union was happy to “take a step towards a durable partnership” with the accord, Cockpit boss Marcel Groels said.

During the dispute, pilots walked out for 24 hours at the beginning of September, leading Lufthansa to cancel almost all its flights out of Frankfurt and Munich, its two German hubs.

Lufthansa reached a pay deal with ground staff in early August, after the dispute led to strike action in the peak European holiday season.