AUA: More than 100 flights canceled due to a company meeting

At Austrian Airlines, more than 100 flights were canceled on Thursday due to a company meeting of the flying staff. The 12,000 affected passengers were informed in advance and rebooked if necessary, according to the airline. It is the third time in just under two weeks that Austrian Airlines has had flight cancellations. According to the vida union, 1,300 people take part in the works meeting.

• Read here: AUA between warning strike and profit

There were originally 300 flights on the AUA flight schedule for Thursday, but according to the current status, 120 of them have been canceled. There are also another ten flights that were canceled due to a warning strike by German aviation security personnel. There may be further adjustments to the flight plan throughout the day.

The reason for the works meeting is the stalled collective agreement negotiations with the AUA on-board staff. After twelve rounds of negotiations, the employer and employee sides were still unable to agree on a salary agreement. Employers offer a plus of 4.5 percent and promise more if the term is longer. The union, on the other hand, is demanding 30 percent more salary and more vacation.

Apart from a cost-of-living adjustment, the union also wants to see the salary gap with Lufthansa closed. AUA’s cabin staff earn significantly less than other pilots and flight attendants in the Lufthansa Group, said a spokeswoman for the union. The employee representative said that AUA had just been named the best airline in the Lufthansa Group.

Strikes and negotiations in Germany

The wave of strikes at German airports is not slowing down. According to industry estimates, tens of thousands of passengers will again not be able to travel as planned on Thursday due to a warning strike by aviation security staff at five airports. The warning strikes last started at Berlin Airport last night. Because of the all-day strike by aviation security forces on Thursday, passengers can no longer come into the security area.

According to estimates by the airport association ADV, more than 580 flight connections are likely to be canceled and 90,000 travelers will have to reschedule. On Friday, aviation security personnel are scheduled to stop work in Hanover, Dortmund, Weeze, Dresden and Leipzig and again in Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden.

• More on the subject: Few flights, hardly any trains: This is how the strikes in Germany are affecting millions of travelers

In the collective bargaining dispute among Lufthansa ground staff, representatives of the company and the Verdi union continued their negotiations on Thursday, according to the AUA parent. Last week, hundreds of Lufthansa flights were canceled in this area due to a warning strike organized by Verdi. Verdi is charging 12.5 percent more money for Lufthansa ground staff for a term of twelve months, while the company has previously offered 10 percent for a term of 28 months.