German union Vereinigung Cockpit has called further industrial action by Lufthansa pilots from 29 November after talks with the airline yesterday failed to provide a breathrough in the dispute.
The union says that short-haul flights will be affected by a strike on 29 November, and that short- and long-haul flights will be covered by further action on 30 November.
It comes after the union staged a walkout that was gradually extended in to a four-day strike during the previous week. Lufthansa says this resulted in 2,755 flight cancellations and affected more than 345,000 passengers.
Lufthansa and union members met on 27 November for "top-level" talks which had been arranged at short-notice, states union board member Jorg Handwerg. But he adds that the two sides made no progress regarding wages, because Lufthansa did not come forward with a "negotiable offer".
While the industrial action is based on pay, the long-standing dispute covers a range of other issues including work and pension terms and Lufthansa's expansion of budget arm Eurowings.
Lufthansa argues the union does not want to continue talks and that the pilots' demands are far beyond what other employee groups have demanded. "This is unacceptable," it adds.
The airline on 25 November issued a release about an updated pay offer based on a proposal from September to reach an agreement for all disputed topics through mediation. But the union argues that the offer represents no pay rise and dismissed the move as a PR stunt.
Handwerg says that the union and management agreed in 2015 to discuss "serious" proposals behind closed doors before they are made public.
He adds: "The offer to include other topics than the pay agreement in current negotiation is no viable option anymore."
Source: Cirium Dashboard
