9.5% pay increase for 20,000 Lufthansa employees demanded

Germany's Verdi union is demanding a pay rise of about 9.5% for around 20,000 Lufthansa ground staff, reported dpa.

The union's collective bargaining commission decided that the pay increase should result in at least €350 ($368) more per employee over a 12-month period.

After three years of wage sacrifices to stabilize the company in the coronavirus pandemic, workers have been hit particularly hard by high inflation, union negotiator Christine Behle said.

"That is why it is now important to retain Lufthansa employees with significant wage increases and to attract new employees with attractive salaries," he said.

The first round of negotiations with Lufthansa is to take place on June 30 in Frankfurt.

A Lufthansa spokesman said the company had to pay off high debts and take into consideration the economic risks associated with the war in Ukraine.

Lufthansa and its subsidiary Eurowings recently cancelled hundreds of flights for July due to staff shortages.

In addition to the pay increase demands, Verdi wants to achieve an hourly wage of at least €13 for employees. With the planned increase of the statutory minimum wage to €12, there must be a collective bargaining gap, it said.