On Thursday, following more than 20 rounds of negotiations, management and the union agreed on a new collective agreement (KV) until 2026 for the approximately 1,000 pilots and 2,500 flight attendants, as the Lufthansa subsidiary announced in the evening. A strike and several company meetings in the spring led to hundreds of flight cancellations and caused millions in damage.
The agreement is subject to a positive vote by the vida union, the AUA explained in the press release. The works council and the union recommend approval this time, the union told the APA.
The new KV is scheduled to run until the end of 2026 and salaries will increase three times by then, namely in April 2024 and from January 2025 and January 2026 by an average total of 19.4 percent. In addition, a further up to 2 percentage points may be added in 2026, depending on the company’s results in 2025. The salaries of co-pilots will be increased by an additional 11 percent on average.
In addition to the salary increases, a so-called peace obligation was agreed. This means that no operational disruptions in the form of strikes may occur during the term of the collective agreement until the end of 2026.
First reactions
“With the peace obligation agreed for the first time, our passengers can rely on us once more,” said the board of directors, pleased with the outcome of the negotiations.
“This negotiated solution means a significant increase in salaries for the AUA’s on-board staff above the inflation rate,” said Daniel Liebhart, chairman of the aviation department in the vida union, commenting on the result.
In addition to the financial improvements, the union pointed to a reduction in workload and improved protection in the event of the loss of a flying license for medical reasons.
This article was updated at 6:36 p.m.
