Lufthansa pilots threaten to go on strike: are they too greedy?

Lufthansa pilots threaten strikes. They are worried about their future and are therefore demanding higher interest rates on their company pension scheme from corporate management. From the perspective of many employees, the conflict must seem remote. On the one hand, the 4,800 pilots at the Lufthansa core brand earn above-average amounts of up to 250,000 euros and more. You can also take early retirement from the age of 55. In addition to the statutory pension insurance, they also receive the company pension scheme, which is currently being fought over.

To date, only half of all employees in Germany have such a company pension, which is tax-subsidized by the state and subsidized by the employer. According to surveys by the German Pension Insurance, high earners use them much more often than low earners – even though they are the ones who should be protected from poverty in old age.

In the current tariff dispute, Lufthansa pilots argue that the airline changed its company pension scheme in 2017. Until then, the amount of the pension paid out was guaranteed, but now the employer only promises the contribution that will be put into the pension plan. However, the investment funds into which Lufthansa pays do not produce the expected returns. That’s why the pilots are demanding that the company pay more for their supplementary pension. That sounds utopian – also in view of the strict restructuring program that the board has announced.