The possibility of a strike looms as Austrian Airlines (AUA) faces turbulent times ahead with collective agreement negotiations for its on-board staff (3,500 employees) being broken off. Daniel Liebhart from the vida union has confirmed that a strike is imminent.
The AUA claims to have offered the works council and the union an overall package, including compensation for inflation, pay increases for co-pilots, and profit-sharing bonuses. However, the union is seeking alignment of on-board salaries with those of the parent company Lufthansa, which are reportedly 40 percent higher.
The decision to strike is not taken lightly and will be discussed with the on-board works council. Both parties are at a standstill, with the AUA maintaining that their offer is valid and open to negotiation while the union is pushing for higher salary increases to align with Lufthansa.
There has been speculation that the AUA negotiator may have left Vienna for Frankfurt, but the AUA claims he is still reachable. The deadline for a new offer is midnight on Friday, and if one is not submitted, a strike will take place over the Easter holidays.
