The operations of Lufthansa Group is expected to be substantially disrupted by a strike of members of its cabin crews, which has already led to hundreds of cancellations and delays of flights — and thus directly affecting thousands of passengers.
Travel Alert November 7 and 8 2019: Lufthansa Cabin Crew Members Strike
Flights to at least ten cities in the United States are among the cancellations which have already occurred due to the strike.
This notice is currently displayed at the official Internet web site of Lufthansa at the time this article was written:
UFO has called on its cabin crew members for a two-day strike on 7 and 8 November. Lufthansa condemns the strike call in the strongest possible terms. A special flight schedule for Thursday and Friday has been published since Wednesday afternoon. Lufthansa has already been able to send many passengers a rebooking option, and this work will be completed by early Thursday morning. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
According to the UFO — which is the Unabhängige Flugbegleiter Organisation and translates as the Independent Flight Attendant Organization — Lufthansa had applied for a preliminary injunction to block the strike; and the information from yesterday, Tuesday, November 5, 2019 was translated using Google Translate:
The court has scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday at 9:30 clock for trial. We are currently working through the 400-page brief. However, the biggest news in the lawsuit is at the beginning. The personal witch hunt is now directed not only against former officials, but also against our two chairmen. Sylvia De la Cruz and Daniel Flohr are also sued in person. This has never happened in the history of such conflicts. With a threat of legal filing and threatened damages in the millions, this takes on a new dimension.
We will inform after decision of the court about the exit. It is expected that the trial will take several hours.
Thus, the invitations to “procedural soundings” and the current invitation of Carsten Spohr can be classified.
The simultaneous distribution with the public through the distribution, instead of just to the invited and the distribution circle, including a CU, which is not even founded and ver.di, which for many years, no negotiations or even contracts in the LH cabin responsible , looks very much that the invitation from Spohr is a pure PR measure. But even if we can not believe that this is a serious pacification, we will accept this invitation. The spokespersons of the Lufthansa Tariff Commission, the past and current CEOs will be making an effort tomorrow to make this a success. A success would be a de-escalation.
But we have to assume that that’s what it looks like: a distraction maneuver. That is, until we can announce any concrete other agreement, the strikes continue as planned.
Furthermore, yesterday we received a letter from all airlines in the Lufthansa Group. Here we link the letter of the corporation and our answer .
This letter from the corporation is a response to our letter that you have read last Friday. As a reminder, you will find it HERE .
With yesterday’s letter we were completely without obligation negotiations from 15.02. 2020 in view. Before that there could be “procedural soundings”. In other words, we spend three and a half months talking about when and where we will be sitting in three and a half months.
In the meantime, tightly negotiated negotiations are already taking place with ver.di, which should probably come to a conclusion as quickly as possible. But more importantly, the Group is still carrying out various lawsuits against us, including a status proceeding on our union status, as of today the lawsuit for refusing to strike UFO and our chairmen, running our ex-chairman’s notice and repaying UFO. As long as these procedures are not dropped, you all know what to expect from the parallel “charm offensive”. Besides, there is no substitute for negotiations. Even if you describe it as “nice”.
Regarding the reference to the upcoming elections, we would like to point out again that the group has to stay out of the internal affairs of the UFO. The Labor Court recently made this very clear with its judgment of 25.09.2019. These arguments are advanced and legally untenable. The General Assembly also clearly stated last Friday that UFO is closed, decides and does not want to lose any time. There is no reason for that either. For bargaining is not only the board, but the tariff commissions with their negotiators.
We also made a short hangout today as a glimpse of yesterday’s strike announcement. The recording can be found HERE .
Meetings on Thursday in MUC and Friday in FRA
For this strike, which initially concerns only Lufthansa, we would like to hold meetings with you in MUC and in FRA in order to show the public and management that the cabin is in line and that the course of the Group is not pleasing. All colleagues of the other group airlines who also have time are of course cordially invited to attend the rallies.
MUC: We gather on Thursday, 07.11.2019 at 09:00 clock in front of the FOC, then drive together to the terminal and make a joint rally at the airport.
We bring safety vests and whistles with us. It’s not about our messages, it’s your strike. If you feel like announcing your personal “messages”, you can paint them on a t-shirt, make signs or use any other form. We are sure that you have a lot to tell management. At 10:00 am we want to make a rally at the airport, in order to drive back to the FOC afterwards. Around 12:00/13:00 is expected to end the meeting.
FRA: We gather on Friday, the 8th of November at 11:00 am at the Kiss & Fly parking lot in front of the LH base and then run as a protest march in front of the LAC , where hopefully the management itself will provide your feedback. Again, we bring safety vests and whistles, signs and other signs of disgust are here your creativity left. The assembly then dissolves at the LAC.
Before and after the meetings, of course, there are pickets at the bases for you.
It is not threatened, but it does not run completely clean
The last strike call was still threatened, which has since apologized. However, limits are being tested again now. We get feedback that team leaders call with a private number to ask if anyone is flying. Do not let this put you under pressure. You do not have to answer the phone or take any instructions. Whether you go on strike or not is entirely up to you.
Answers to (almost) all questions around the strike as well as all information about the current dispute can be found as usual at www.ufo-online.aero/lhconcern .
UNITED WE STAND
Because the injunction by Lufthansa failed as the court in Germany approved of the strike, it will likely occur as scheduled on Thursday, November 7, 2019 — and the damage has already be done in terms of inconveniencing passengers and customers.
Summary
If your travel plans on Thursday, November 7, 2019 and Friday, November 8, 2019 have been affected by the impending strike, you can rebook your flight with Lufthansa for the same route to a new date — up to and including Friday, November 15, 2019 — subject to availability in the same class.
Affected passengers can also choose to travel by train.
Also, United Airlines has issued travel alerts for Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich for Thursday, November 7, 2019 through Friday, November 8, 2019; and Tuesday, November 12, 2019 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
Hopefully, your travel plans will not be affected and your itinerary will occur as planned.
Photograph ©2013 by Brian Cohen.
