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Lufthansa cabin crew begin strike Lufthansa cabin crew's day of strike action ends
(about 7 hours later)
The union representing cabin staff at the German airline Lufthansa has started planned strike action at Frankfurt airport. The union representing cabin staff at the Germany's biggest airline, Lufthansa, has ended a day of strike action at Frankfurt airport.
The walkout, over pay and conditions, is expected to last for eight hours, from 0500 to 1300 local time. Lufthansa cancelled some 200 short and medium-haul flights in and out of Europe's third biggest airport.
The UFO union said earlier this week that it would stage strikes after talks broke down. A small number of long-haul flights were cancelled as well, among them services to and from New York, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Seattle.
Lufthansa said it would prioritise long-haul flights and "wherever possible" these would not be cancelled. The union and the airline have been in dispute over pay and work conditions.
But it conceded that the industrial action "may lead to unscheduled flight delays and cancellations" among scheduled flights in and out of Frankfurt. The UFO union had said earlier this week that it would stage strikes after talks broke down.
A spokesman said Lufthansa planned to cancel 64 flights, or a quarter of flights, during the duration of the strike.
The airline said the strike would mainly affect short and medium-haul flights, but also some long-haul.
Pay row
The UFO union had previously said it would strike but had refused to pinpoint its start time, saying it did not want to give Lufthansa the opportunity to prepare by getting replacement crews ready.
The union and the airline have been in dispute for a year over pay and working conditions.
The union is seeking a pay increase of 5% for cabin staff for 15 months starting from January this year, after three years of no increases.The union is seeking a pay increase of 5% for cabin staff for 15 months starting from January this year, after three years of no increases.
It also wants guarantees that Lufthansa will not outsource jobs and use more temporary workers, as it has done in Berlin.It also wants guarantees that Lufthansa will not outsource jobs and use more temporary workers, as it has done in Berlin.
Lufthansa's latest offer was for a pay increase of about 3.5%.Lufthansa's latest offer was for a pay increase of about 3.5%.
Airline spokesman Klaus Walther said the union had put its demands "on the back of the customers" and called on it to return to the negotiation table.
UFO head Nicoley Baublies has said that the airline has also not assured that its staff will not be transferred to a cheaper contract if they moved to a low-cost airline within the group.UFO head Nicoley Baublies has said that the airline has also not assured that its staff will not be transferred to a cheaper contract if they moved to a low-cost airline within the group.
And he told Bayerischer Rundfunk radio that Friday's action may just be the first of many if Lufthansa does not meet its demands.
Lufthansa has about 19,000 cabin crew and the UFO union represents about two-thirds of them.Lufthansa has about 19,000 cabin crew and the UFO union represents about two-thirds of them.
Are you taking part in the strike action? Are you a Lufthansa customer affected by the stoppage? Please send us your comments using the form below.Are you taking part in the strike action? Are you a Lufthansa customer affected by the stoppage? Please send us your comments using the form below.
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