Lufthansa goes to labor court
By Juergen Baetz and Matt Moore |
February 23, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
GERMAN airline Lufthansa asked a labor court to halt a strike by more than 4,000 of its pilots that canceled 800 flights yesterday and upended the travel plans of 10,000 passengers worldwide.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG spokeswoman Claudia Lange told The Associated Press yesterday that the injunction was filed in Frankfurt.
"This strike is disproportionate," she said. "We hope for a decision within the next 24 hours."
Lange said the company filed the legal action in a bid to avoid more harm to its passengers, customers and shareholders.
The move came on the first day of a planned four-day walkout by pilots in the Cockpit union over job security. The action could be extended, a union official said.
"The four days apparently are not enough to get Lufthansa to find a solution with us at the negotiating table," Cockpit spokesman Alexander Gerhard-Madjidi told Bayerischer Rundfunk Radio yesterday.
"Of course, we won't end this escalation after those four days, that means we are going to prepare further strike measures and they are going to be expanded in length and duration," he said.
Europe's biggest airline by sales said many long-haul flights to the United States, including New York and Denver, were canceled because of the strike organized by the Cockpit pilots' union. However, it said it was still running many domestic flights and short-haul routes across Europe.
Other flights to the US, including Newark, New Jersey, Dallas and Chicago, were scheduled yesterday, as were flights to destinations in Africa, South America and Asia.
Lufthansa typically has 1,800 flights a day.
"For today, we foresee about 1,000 flights planned, but there may be more flights that could be canceled during the day," the airline warned. It offers some 160 long-haul flights to destinations worldwide.
The airline, Germany's largest, estimated the strike could cost it some 25 million euros (US$34 million) per day.
Pilots for Lufthansa Cargo and the low-budget subsidiary, Germanwings, are also taking part in the strike.
Lufthansa said it was trying to rebook travelers on partner airlines or trains. Travelers unable to be rescheduled are being reimbursed for their tickets, it said.
"They're giving us the service and support to get us where we need to go," said Shane Parkinson, who was flying from Germany to Sicily, whose original flight from Frankfurt was scrapped.
"They wouldn't upgrade us to business class but it could have been worse," Parkinson said.
Resat Saritas tried to go to Dubai but found his flight was canceled. Despite his unhappiness over his flight, he said the strike was justified.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG spokeswoman Claudia Lange told The Associated Press yesterday that the injunction was filed in Frankfurt.
"This strike is disproportionate," she said. "We hope for a decision within the next 24 hours."
Lange said the company filed the legal action in a bid to avoid more harm to its passengers, customers and shareholders.
The move came on the first day of a planned four-day walkout by pilots in the Cockpit union over job security. The action could be extended, a union official said.
"The four days apparently are not enough to get Lufthansa to find a solution with us at the negotiating table," Cockpit spokesman Alexander Gerhard-Madjidi told Bayerischer Rundfunk Radio yesterday.
"Of course, we won't end this escalation after those four days, that means we are going to prepare further strike measures and they are going to be expanded in length and duration," he said.
Europe's biggest airline by sales said many long-haul flights to the United States, including New York and Denver, were canceled because of the strike organized by the Cockpit pilots' union. However, it said it was still running many domestic flights and short-haul routes across Europe.
Other flights to the US, including Newark, New Jersey, Dallas and Chicago, were scheduled yesterday, as were flights to destinations in Africa, South America and Asia.
Lufthansa typically has 1,800 flights a day.
"For today, we foresee about 1,000 flights planned, but there may be more flights that could be canceled during the day," the airline warned. It offers some 160 long-haul flights to destinations worldwide.
The airline, Germany's largest, estimated the strike could cost it some 25 million euros (US$34 million) per day.
Pilots for Lufthansa Cargo and the low-budget subsidiary, Germanwings, are also taking part in the strike.
Lufthansa said it was trying to rebook travelers on partner airlines or trains. Travelers unable to be rescheduled are being reimbursed for their tickets, it said.
"They're giving us the service and support to get us where we need to go," said Shane Parkinson, who was flying from Germany to Sicily, whose original flight from Frankfurt was scrapped.
"They wouldn't upgrade us to business class but it could have been worse," Parkinson said.
Resat Saritas tried to go to Dubai but found his flight was canceled. Despite his unhappiness over his flight, he said the strike was justified.
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