Lufthansa pilots plan two-day strike over pay

Pilots at German carrier Lufthansa will stage a two-day strike from Wednesday unless the company makes a ‘serious’ offer in talks over pay, a union has said (Michael Probst/AP)

Pilots at German carrier Lufthansa will stage a two-day strike from Wednesday unless the company makes a “serious” offer in talks over pay, a union has said.

It would be the second strike in a week after pilots staged a walkout on Friday which led to hundreds of flights being cancelled.

The Vereinigung Cockpit union has called for a 5.5% pay rise for its members this year and an inflation-busting 8.2% increase in 2023.

Pilots are also seeking a new pay and holiday structure.

A strike by Lufthansa pilots last Friday led to hundreds of flights being cancelled (Michael Probst/AP)

The airline said those measures would increase its staffing costs by about 40%, or around 900 million euros (£776.4 million) over two years.

It has instead offered a one-off increase of 900 euros (£776), amounting to a 5% increase for senior pilots and an 18% increase for those starting the profession.

Lufthansa’s personnel chief Michael Niggemann accused the union of seeking to escalate the dispute.

“We will nevertheless do everything to achieve success with an improved offer despite the time pressure,” he said.

Strong unions have traditionally ensured good conditions for workers in Germany, using strikes to press their demands in labour disputes.