Pay talks collapse, Lufthansa pilots ready to strike
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The union Vereinigung Cockpit which represents around 5,400 pilots at the company said strike action at the main Lufthansa airline brand and its cargo arm was possible at any time, although it would give 24 hours' notice of a walkout.
Talks on new contracts for 5,400 pilots at the Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings divisions have been going on for four years and have resulted in more than a dozen strikes at one of Europe's largest airlines.
The pilots' union said failure to agree a deal meant that its members had not had a pay increase for more than five years and that Lufthansa was offering only a pay freeze.
It is calling for an average annual pay increase of 3.66 percent, pointing to Lufthansa's profits of more than 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) in that period. ■