A few years ago, rumors that Tuifly would merge with the then Air Berlin subsidiary Niki caused an unusually high number of sick days at the Hanover-based airline. So many that flight operations almost came to a standstill. There was even talk of a “wildcat strike”. Is there much more to the many sick reports at Lufthansa than just the season and Omikron?

Shortly before Christmas 2021, many pilots called in sick with Germany's largest airline. The number of medically certified pilots unable to work is currently so high that numerous connections had to be canceled. The crane group is even looking for “replacement pilots” who can step in temporarily. Noticeable: The A330 / A340 sub-fleet in particular is affected by a particularly high number of sick days.

Within Lufthansa, it is now assumed that the sick pilots have simply taken sick leave, following the example of the “wildcat strike” at Tuifly, which on October 7, 2016 led to the almost complete standstill of the holiday airline. So to speak as a form of protest against the termination of the perspective contract as a “wildcat strike”. The unions reject any comment on this. 

The climate between the workers' representatives of the pilots, Vereinigung Cockpit, and the Kranich board is currently very tense. First, the employer terminated the so-called perspective agreement. This was sharply criticized by the VC and in return the collective agreement was terminated.

European business could be shifted to subsidiaries

The Lufthansa board wants to cut costs and is now even questioning the mainline's European business. Almost all of this could be passed on to subsidiaries such as Eurowings, Eurowings Discover, Air Dolomiti or Lufthansa Cityline. The two last-mentioned airlines already operate a not inconsiderable part of the crane flights from Munich and Frankfurt am Main. Various contracts with the unions mean that - apart from the Jump A340 operation - as a rule, only regional airliners are in the portfolio.

Eurowings Discover is generally considered to be the big darling of the corporate management, because this subsidiary has not yet had any collective bargaining agreements. Employee representatives criticize the significantly lower pay compared to group collective bargaining airlines. The prerequisites for a strong growth of EW Discover have already been created, because, for example, the A320 sub-fleet comes entirely from the mainline.

From the documents available to Aviation.Direct it is stated that Lufthansa is increasing the pressure on the unions and is demanding significant cost reductions, especially from the pilots. What is meant by this, of course, is that wages should be reduced. The threat: Lufthansa could be rebuilt in such a way that in future only long-haul flights will be carried out independently. The short and medium-haul routes would then be bought as part of group-internal “wet leases”. This is where the subsidiaries described in the previous paragraph come into play.

Lufthansa can or does not want to meet the goals agreed with the Vereinigung Cockpit as part of the perspective agreement. One wants to reduce costs and otherwise would downsize the continental area or in extreme cases even dissolve it completely and subcontract it to subsidiaries. This is a proper announcement to the employee representatives, because at least in theory the “Ryanair model” can then be copied on short and medium-haul routes.

Ryanair is already doing “cost savings” with the help of various subsidiaries

For some time now, Ryanair has stopped flying every flight itself with the Irish Ryanair DAC. Daughters were raised in Poland (Buzz), Malta (Lauda Europe and Malta Air) and the United Kingdom (Ryanair UK) who have to compete for flights from Ryanair DAC within the group. The UK offshoot is in the proverbial cozy position, as some routes have to be served by this for legal reasons. Ryanair DAC, Lauda Europe, Buzz and Malta Air are in fierce competition with each other and those who can produce cheaper are allowed to fly. A side effect is that if a flight operation is “unionized”, the base is then shut down and a sister company takes over seamlessly, but the staff has to reapply. In Prague, Budapest and Bratislava, the switch from Ryanair DAC to Buzz also resulted in lower wages. At the same time, this approach also enables disagreeable or rebellious employees to be sorted out. If you want to keep your job, you have to feel and work for less money.

Lufthansa already has many subsidiaries with their own AOC and can use these to reduce costs in a targeted manner, following the example of Ryanair. If a “platform” becomes too expensive, you put new tenders within the group and there is already pressure on the staff. This development, which is not only possible, but also clearly an issue, is causing the employee representatives quite a headache. If no compromise can be found at the negotiating table, it cannot be ruled out that industrial action or even strikes will be implemented.

Nobody can prove it, because medical confidentiality applies, but it cannot be dismissed out of hand that one or the other Lufthansa pilot does not feel able to fly in the face of such prospects. In aviation, a principle applies that is unfortunately being literally trampled on by more and more providers: Anyone who does not feel well - regardless of whether psychologically or physically - should stay on the ground. Safety first.