Breakthrough in Austrian Airlines, Flight Attendants Union Talks: 90% Reject Final Offer but Negotiations Continue

Austrian Airlines (AUA) and the on-board staff’s union, vida, are making progress in negotiations for a collective agreement. Discussions took place last week on various levels, with both parties agreeing to continue negotiations on Sunday. AUA spokeswoman Sophie Matkovits stated that negotiations were ongoing and that they had agreed not to disclose further details.

At the beginning of the week, a vote among members of the vida union resulted in 90 percent rejecting AUA’s final offer. Voter turnout was 88 percent, with approximately 60 percent of on-board staff being members of vida. The employers’ side criticized the vote as non-transparent and not reflective of the entire workforce.

AUA’s offer to the 3,500 flight attendants and pilots includes an 18 percent salary increase, with a previously variable part now guaranteed at 4 percent. The airline announced a term of 2 years and 10 months for the agreement, with specific salary increases of 8 percent retroactively from March 1, 2024, and a further 5 percent in January 2025 and January 2026 for on-board staff.

The progress in negotiations is seen as a positive step towards resolving the issues between the parties and reaching a mutually beneficial agreement. Negotiations for a new AUA on-board staff KV have been ongoing since mid-January. Previous strikes and company meetings this spring led to numerous flight cancellations and significant financial losses for the airline.