Lufthansa cabin crew union threatens to stage more walk-outs

Lufthansa’s largest cabin crew union has threatened more walk-outs on the final day of a long-running strike that almost entirely paralyzed the German airline.

On Friday, Nicholas Baublies, who heads the UFO union, made clear to Europe’s largest airline that more industrial action would be on the agenda if Lufthansa fails to meet its demands and continue with the plans to slash costs, which would affect union members.

“This strike will end tonight, but if management doesn’t change, then strikes will be possible again at any time,” the UFO head said during a protest rally in front of the International Frankfurt Airport in Germany.

The union has been on strike since November 6 over a row with the flagship airline mainly over early retirement benefits and pensions.

During the seven-day strike, Lufthansa was forced to cancel over 4,700 flights, leaving some 550,000 passengers stranded in airports across Germany.

Lufthansa, for its part, pleaded with the hundreds of strikers to work together with the airline and help find an end to the dispute.

The UFO has long sought to secure transition payments for its 19,000 members if they retire early. The dispute between the union and Lufthansa goes back to December 2013, when the company decided to start cutting costs.

The airline has seen more than a dozen walkouts from its employees in the past two years. However, the lengthy dispute between the union and the airline still seems far from over.

Lufthansa’s Chief Executive Karl Ulrich Garnadt told reporters on Friday that finding an agreement would be impossible “without a mediator.”

Reports say Lufthansa lost some 10 million euros (10.7 million dollars) a day during the recent week-long strike.

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