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Lufthansa strike starts after failed court challenge | Lufthansa strike starts after failed court challenge |
(about 9 hours later) | |
Lufthansa has cancelled almost 900 flights after it lost an eleventh-hour legal bid to halt a pilots' strike. | |
The two-day action over pay began at midnight local time and about 100,000 passengers are expected to be affected. | |
Joerg Handwerg, spokesman for the pilots' union, Vereinigung Cockpit, said: "Let me make it very clear that going on strike gives us no pleasure. | |
"We are sorry for the passengers and we cannot understand why Lufthansa is unable to make a negotiable offer." | |
He added: "We are ready at any time to return to the negotiating table. We can of course call off the strikes at any time but Lufthansa must show a willingness to budge." | |
Flights by Lufthansa's other airlines including Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines are not affected, the airline said. | Flights by Lufthansa's other airlines including Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines are not affected, the airline said. |
The industrial action is part of a long-running pay dispute at Lufthansa, with the union having organised 14 strikes since April 2014. | |
On Tuesday, Lufthansa made two legal challenges to halt the strike. | On Tuesday, Lufthansa made two legal challenges to halt the strike. |
A Frankfurt labour court first rejected Lufthansa's application for an injunction. Later in the evening, the Hesse state labour court rejected the airline's appeal. | A Frankfurt labour court first rejected Lufthansa's application for an injunction. Later in the evening, the Hesse state labour court rejected the airline's appeal. |
Pay talks between the Vereinigung union and the German airline broke down earlier this month and Lufthansa said the union had "consistently rejected the offer" of mediation. | |
The union is calling for a 3.7% pay rise for 5,400 pilots dating back to 2012. | The union is calling for a 3.7% pay rise for 5,400 pilots dating back to 2012. |
Lufthansa, which is facing increasing competition from budget rivals, offered a 2.5% increase over the six years until 2019. | Lufthansa, which is facing increasing competition from budget rivals, offered a 2.5% increase over the six years until 2019. |
Meanwhile, a separate dispute with cabin crew at Lufthansa's low-cost subsidiary, Eurowings, led it to cancel more than 60 flights on Tuesday. | Meanwhile, a separate dispute with cabin crew at Lufthansa's low-cost subsidiary, Eurowings, led it to cancel more than 60 flights on Tuesday. |
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