Lufthansa is set to acquire a stake in the Italian airline, ITA, a move that has sparked a mix of optimism and caution from the airline’s pilots union.
The pilots union, led by VC (Vereinigung Cockpit) President Stefan Herth, sees the acquisition as a potentially positive development due to Lufthansa’s expansion and the potential for new markets. However, they are also aware of potential risks tied to ITA’s poor profitability and the growing complexity within the Lufthansa Group.
“The increasing strength from higher market shares in Europe for the Lufthansa Group is good news for the employees,” said Stefan Herth. “Lufthansa’s entry into ITA is persistent and entrepreneurially brave. However, the complexity within the Group is taking on ever more threatening dimensions for economic stability. It is crucial for competitiveness that the Group aims for leaner structures again in the future, as announced in the 2020 annual report. No matter how this adventure ends, the employees should not be the ones to pay the bill.”
Daniel Kassa Mbuambi, Chairman of the UFO, added his voice to the union’s stance. “It is crucial for us that the employee groups in the various airlines of the Group are not played off against each other. We won’t stand for a wage dumping competition and will pay close attention to this, coordinating closely with other unions.”
The union also emphasized the need for new international approaches amid the ongoing consolidation in the airline industry. In this context, they urged politicians to create a European or internationally valid framework for collective bargaining agreements.
The structural imbalance between national labor law and national union structures on one hand, and increasingly globalized companies on the other, can only be mitigated at the political level, according to the union. They stress the need for political and legal measures to establish a level playing field between unions and employers, stating that this is the only way to fairly balance the interests within the companies and the wider society.
