The decision was made to strike for the 36-hour period from midnight on Maundy Thursday to midday on Good Friday. Trade unionist Daniel Liebhart said this to the APA on Saturday. At AUA, 430 flights with 52,000 passengers would be canceled during the busy period. Whether the strike can still be averted seems questionable, but it is possible. However, the AUA might even withdraw its offer.
The strike decision was passed unanimously, as was a new request to the AUA to “immediately make a better offer,” explained Liebhart from the responsible union vida. When asked whether there was now a new deadline, Liebhart said that “logically we have to come to an agreement”. In his opinion, in order to avert the strike, there is still time until March 27th at 11:59 p.m. and 59 seconds.
“Escalation measures by the works council and the union do not contribute to finding a solution,” said an AUA spokeswoman, who also told the APA the high number of flights that may be canceled. “These measures are disproportionate, and our passengers also have no understanding of such means. On the corporate side, we promise to do everything we can to enable our passengers to have their Easter holiday.”
No new offer
However, there was still no new offer, as requested by the employee representatives from the works council and the union. On the contrary: “One day of strike alone causes the company financial damage of up to 10 million euros. Accordingly, it is conceivable that the offer presented of up to 18 percent increase for flight attendants and pilots, and even up to 28 percent for co-pilots, must be revised to compensate for the damage.”
Accepting the offer would once once more mean one of the highest KV degrees in Austria, said the AUA spokeswoman. The company also asked the works council to return to the negotiating table – “unfortunately without success”. Trade unionist Liebhart also criticized a “missing negotiating partner, we are in place here,” he emphasized. “It always takes two to negotiate. We have no choice but to call for a strike. The AUA management is literally pushing us to do so.”
Increases of up to 40 percent required
Trigger of the labor dispute: The employee representatives broke off the negotiations on Thursday evening and have since been demanding a new offer from the airline. The current offer only covers inflation and there is no real wage increase, the union said. The current salary structure is significantly below that of the German parent company Lufthansa. A new offer did not arrive by the midnight Friday deadline.
According to Austrian, the union’s demand amounts to increases of up to 40 percent valid until the end of 2024. “We would have made a loss last year,” said the AUA. The union, on the other hand, criticized the company’s “numbers games”; in reality, only the rolling inflation of almost eight percent would be compensated for. However, they are definitely prepared to negotiate a KV for the next 22 months – i.e. until the end of 2025.
The AUA currently always refers to the employee bonus: the airline is paying out a total of around 30 million euros this year; if the airline is economically successful, employees would receive up to an extra month’s salary. And they are prepared to increase the bonus so that employees might receive up to two months’ salary in the future. From the employees’ point of view, this leaves them too far behind from the funds from the parent company, Lufthansa.
