Lufthansa cabin crew go on strike, hundreds of flights canceled
Lufthansa cabin crew members stage a protest at the Frankfurt Rhein-Main Airport on September 7, 2012. Cabin crew walked off the job at midnight Thursday, forcing the airline to cancel hundreds of flights.
German airline Lufthansa canceled about 1,000 flights today after flight attendants staged a 24-hour strike, marking the biggest service disruption in more than two years.
It was the third time in a week that cabin crew walked off the job after 13-months of contract negotiations broke down, the Associated Press reported.
The strike has hit Germany’s six main airports, affecting thousands of passengers, the BBC reported.
After the walkout began at midnight Thursday, the Independent Flight Attendants’ Organization or UFO, the union representing the cabin staff, said it would “give Lufthansa some time to review its intransigent attitude,” the Agence France-Presse reported.
Bloomberg reported that the two sides disagree over pay increases.
UFO wants a five percent raise on a one-year contract backdated to April 1. Lufthansa, which is trying to cut costs, has offered a 1.5 percent annual increase.
The AP said there are signs the two sides could soon return to the negotiating table after they agreed overnight to call in a mediator to help them settle the dispute.
Lufthansa has published a list of canceled flights online and a list of phone numbers to call for those who are affected by the latest strike.
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