Lufthansa cabin crew set to strike

[sn26567]

Unions at the Germany's biggest airline have announced plans for a series of strikes by cabin crew - which could begin anytime from this Wednesday.

In response, Lufthansa said that a walkout could cost millions of euros per day and appealed to staff to do their bit to help the company save money.

Source: BBC

[luchtzak]

I was about to post the same, here is the article in "Het Laatste Nieuws":

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/942/Economie/a ... ansa.dhtml

Not the first time (found this topic started 2 1/2 years ago): viewtopic.php?f=7&t=38996

[Passenger]

If a flight is cancelled or delayed because of a strike by own staff, the airline is fully responsible for the damage to passengers. The strike indeed is avoidable: the company can accept the union demands, or the unions can call off their strike.

So European legislation 261/2004 applies. This means:

For a flight that is cancelled:

1. reimbursement of the cost of the ticket within seven days or a return flight to the first point of departure or re-routing to their final destination;

2. care (refreshments, meals, hotel accommodation, transport between the airport and place of accommodation, two free telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails);

3. compensation:
- EUR 250 for all flights of 1.500 kilometres or less;
- EUR 400 for all intra-Community flights of more than 1500 kilometres, and for all other flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometres;
- EUR 600 for all other flights.

For a flight that is delayed:

a. in the event of long delays (two hours or more, depending on the distance of the flight), passengers must in every case be offered free meals and refreshments plus two free telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails;

b. if the time of departure is deferred until the next day, passengers must also be offered hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the place of accommodation;

c. when the delay is five hours or longer, passengers may opt for reimbursement of the full cost of the ticket together with, when relevant, a return flight to the first point of departure.

Official source for EU legislation on Rule 261/2004, with language choice and pdf/html choice:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/Lex ... 261:EN:NOT

[luchtzak]

Friday (tomorrow) seems to be the day.

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/942/Economie/a ... jdag.dhtml

[Outsync]

If a flight is cancelled or delayed because of a strike by own staff, the airline is fully responsible for the damage to passengers. The strike indeed is avoidable: the company can accept the union demands, or the unions can call off their strike.

So European legislation 261/2004 applies. This means:

For a flight that is cancelled:

1. reimbursement of the cost of the ticket within seven days or a return flight to the first point of departure or re-routing to their final destination;

2. care (refreshments, meals, hotel accommodation, transport between the airport and place of accommodation, two free telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails);

3. compensation:
- EUR 250 for all flights of 1.500 kilometres or less;
- EUR 400 for all intra-Community flights of more than 1500 kilometres, and for all other flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometres;
- EUR 600 for all other flights.

For a flight that is delayed:

a. in the event of long delays (two hours or more, depending on the distance of the flight), passengers must in every case be offered free meals and refreshments plus two free telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails;

b. if the time of departure is deferred until the next day, passengers must also be offered hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the place of accommodation;

c. when the delay is five hours or longer, passengers may opt for reimbursement of the full cost of the ticket together with, when relevant, a return flight to the first point of departure.

Official source for EU legislation on Rule 261/2004, with language choice and pdf/html choice:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/Lex ... 261:EN:NOT

Is this not "force majeure"?

[eurojet]

Been there with Lufthansa already, and even their strikes are pretty well organised....: this will mostly impact intra-German and intra-Schengen flights with high frequency. This enables them to rebook passengers a bit more easily and no issues with passengers lacking proper visums to stay over in airports .. Foresee a good few flights out of Brussels impacted .. Long Haul should be OK, except flights with multiple frequences (NY area etc ..)

[Passenger]

If a flight is cancelled or delayed because of a strike by own staff, the airline is fully responsible for the damage to passengers. The strike indeed is avoidable: the company can accept the union demands, or the unions can call off their strike.

So European legislation 261/2004 applies.

Official source for EU legislation on Rule 261/2004, with language choice and pdf/html choice:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/Lex ... 261:EN:NOT

Is this not "force majeure"?

No, it's not. Only a wildcat strike within the own company is accepted as force majeure / "act of God". And strikes by public services (fire brigade, ATC, customs, police) are also seen as act of God / Hand of God.

But even for "accepted strikes" (like from ATC), the assistance obligation as set out in from 261/2004 applies. Only the financial limitations are limited, example passengers get no financial compensation.

[sn26567]

Friday (tomorrow) seems to be the day.

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/942/Economie/a ... jdag.dhtml

No strike actions are planned for today, Thursday, 30 August 2012. Lufthansa is confident to provide stable flight operations.

According to the latest UFO announcement, strike measures will start tomorrow, Friday, 31 August 2012. Details on the scope of the strikes (affected airports and expected duration) will be published by the union at very short notice only.

Lufthansa will do its utmost best to communicate the details as soon as possible and to minimize the impacts on its customers. Passenger support and service have paramount priority. Lufthansa will take any effort to inform customers who have registered their contact details via SMS or email about delays, cancellations and rebookings. Click here for more details:
http://f.lh.com/1ZMh

Source: Lufhansa

[Passenger]

a strike is now announced for Friday 31st August:

https://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/Travel-information

[cnc]

time to recruit new fresh hostesses and kick those who refuse to work

[b-west]

From the Lufthansa site:

Flight cancellations due to strike action are considered force majeure by EU regulation. Thus, Lufthansa is exempted from the obligation of providing compensation payments.

[flightlover]

time to recruit new fresh hostesses and kick those who refuse to work

That's how you can handle with slaves. Really want to go back to that?

[Passenger]

From the Lufthansa site:

Flight cancellations due to strike action are considered force majeure by EU regulation. Thus, Lufthansa is exempted from the obligation of providing compensation payments.

I understand that Lufthansa tries to limit the costs of the strike, but actually it's just b..sh.. from them.

They probably refer to remark (14) from EU Regulation 261/2004: "As under the Montreal Convention, obligations on operating air carriers should be limited or excluded in cases where an event has been caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Such circumstances may, in particular, occur in cases of political instability, meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned, security risks, unexpected flight safety shortcomings and strikes that affect the operation of an operating air carrier."

Important in this rule is: "which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken". And that's very clear here: all reasonable measure have not been taken. The strike is very easy avoidable if one of these two reasonable measures are taken: 1. the LH-employees can call off their strike and/or 2. the management can give the unions what they want.

The only strike that is accepted as "extraordinary circumstance" is a wildcat strike. But that is now excluded here, because the strike is announced.

Best example on how strict this "extraordinary circumstances" has to be seen was given recently at the European High Court of Justice. Ryanair has to refund hotel costs from passengers who were stuck in Portugal after their flight was cancelled by ATC because of the famous Iceland vulcano. The Court said EU 261/2004 is a consumer protection law, and that passenger's problems prevail when something goes wrong.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/Lex ... 61:EN:HTML

[cnc]

time to recruit new fresh hostesses and kick those who refuse to work

That's how you can handle with slaves. Really want to go back to that?

how would you bring people back to reality? not by giving them unrealistic gifts i hope

[Air Key West]

time to recruit new fresh hostesses and kick those who refuse to work

And send them to work camps in Russia, perhaps, like the Pussy Riots ? I don't think I ever said this on this forum, but this time, I cannot help it : Shame on you !

[cnc]

time to recruit new fresh hostesses and kick those who refuse to work

And send them to work camps in Russia, perhaps, like the Pussy Riots ? I don't think I ever said this on this forum, but this time, I cannot help it : Shame on you !

and the link between the strike and the pussy riots is?
i guess either you have no clue about the shape LH is in atm or you wish harm to the LH group

[Passenger]

time to recruit new fresh hostesses and kick those who refuse to work

That's how you can handle with slaves. Really want to go back to that?

I've never seen any LH cabin crew member with handcuffs. And as far as I know, they all have their own passports and they don't have a stamp on their arms "this person belongs to ...". A referral to slaves / slavery therefore is misplaced and an insult towards those people who do suffer.

Those going on strike don't have the basic respect for their employer - and more important for their clients. How can one say on Thursday "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying Lufthansa, we hope you will enjoy your flight", and on Friday "Damned passengers, get lost"? Because after all, that is the basic result of this strike.

[Tomskii]

time to recruit new fresh hostesses and kick those who refuse to work

And send them to work camps in Russia, perhaps, like the Pussy Riots ? I don't think I ever said this on this forum, but this time, I cannot help it : Shame on you !

and the link between the strike and the pussy riots is?
i guess either you have no clue about the shape LH is in atm or you wish harm to the LH group

He is reacting to that muppet who said the bold sentence above.. then someone answerred that would be going back to slavery and then he answerred this. So instead of being the uptight ***hole, just ignore and let it be..

[flightlover]

Not saying they have reasonable or unreasonable demands.

But how believable is it when managers say there is no money for a raise if they are investing billions in new materials and are making millions themselves. Oh and I almost forgot, they pay dividend also.

It may be easy to say those employees are greedy or the managers are greedy.

Besides, what is a good renumeration for a CEO for example? 10 - 20€/employee/annum? Because that is what the CEO is making at LH.

[flightlover]

time to recruit new fresh hostesses and kick those who refuse to work

That's how you can handle with slaves. Really want to go back to that?

I've never seen any LH cabin crew member with handcuffs. And as far as I know, they all have their own passports and they don't have a stamp on their arms "this person belongs to ...". A referral to slaves / slavery therefore is misplaced and an insult towards those people who do suffer.

Those going on strike don't have the basic respect for their employer - and more important for their clients. How can one say on Thursday "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying Lufthansa, we hope you will enjoy your flight", and on Friday "Damned passengers, get lost"? Because after all, that is the basic result of this strike.

Why I said slavery? Because that is where you end up when it becomes normal to just throw employees out when they don't take it the way you like it. Waring handcuffs or having brand marks are just visible signs of having no choice but to agree.

You don't take a pay-cut -> Out
You don't work more hours -> Out
And in this case:
You dare to ask for more money -> Out

Luckily in most of Europe we have legal protection against this with minimum pay and employee protection (f.e.: the right to strike). But weren't those the things some employers would like to see disappear?

And yes this is the worst view on what can happen if employee rights are being diminished. But this is what will happen with at least a part of the working population because not all managers are altruists.