The current strikes at Discover Airlines, the holiday airline in the Lufthansa Group, have developed into an intense dispute between the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union and the management of Discover Airlines. What was originally planned as a three-day industrial action has now been extended to the weekend. The result: numerous flight cancellations and uncertainty for thousands of travelers in the middle of the peak holiday season.
The wage dispute at Discover Airlines is part of a larger dispute within the Lufthansa Group. The Cockpit Association (VC), which represents the interests of cockpit personnel, has decided together with the cabin crew union Ufo to strike for better working conditions and higher wages. The unions are demanding their own collective agreements for Discover Airlines employees, which should be negotiated independently of the agreements of the parent company Lufthansa and the rival union Verdi.
However, Discover Airlines sees these demands as an unacceptable power play. In a sharply worded statement, the company criticized the extension of the strike as "completely unacceptable and without any measure". The six-day strike, which is taking place during the busiest travel season of the year, is irresponsible towards the passengers, who must now bear the consequences of the union action. Despite the massive strike action, Discover Airlines still managed to carry out more than three quarters of the planned flights, according to the company.
The impact of the strike is particularly felt at Discover Airlines' two main airports, Frankfurt and Munich. On Wednesday, eight of the 26 planned departures at Frankfurt Airport had to be cancelled. In Munich, a flight to Ibiza was cancelled. Similar disruptions are expected in the coming days, as the strikes are set to continue through Sunday.
The VC's decision to extend the strike is a clear signal to the management of Discover Airlines and the entire Lufthansa Group. The unions want to demonstrate their determination to enforce their own collective agreements, which they believe are urgently needed to improve the working conditions of pilots and flight attendants.
Background of the conflict: The fight for collective bargaining autonomy
The tensions between the unions and the management of Discover Airlines must also be understood against the background of the recent collective bargaining negotiations in the Lufthansa Group. While the management of Discover Airlines has already agreed on a contract with the Verdi union, VC and Ufo are of the opinion that Verdi only represents a small number of pilots and flight attendants. They are therefore demanding separate contracts that take the specific conditions at Discover Airlines into account.
This conflict over collective bargaining autonomy is nothing new. In the past, there have been repeated disputes between the various unions within the Lufthansa Group, each struggling for influence and relevance. For the employees of Discover Airlines, this is about more than just a wage increase: it is about the question of who best represents their interests and how their future will be shaped in a changing aviation market.
Discover Airlines: A young airline at the centre of the conflict
Discover Airlines was founded in 2021 as a holiday airline within the Lufthansa Group and has since specialized in holiday flights within Europe and overseas. With a fleet of currently 27 aircraft, the airline serves numerous popular travel destinations and is therefore an important player in the holiday flight market. Around 1.900 employees work on board Discover Airlines, who are now affected by the strike action in the middle of the peak season.
The latest labor dispute is a serious problem for Discover Airlines. The success of the young airline could be significantly affected by the strikes and the resulting flight cancellations. At the same time, the conflict represents a challenge for the management of the Lufthansa Group, which has repeatedly had to deal with labor disputes in the past.
Solidarity strikes at Cityline: The unions are putting pressure on
To emphasize their demands, the unions VC and Ufo initiated a solidarity strike on Thursday evening at Cityline, another Lufthansa subsidiary. Although this strike mainly affected cargo flights, the signal was clear: the unions are prepared to further increase the pressure on management in order to achieve their goals.
For Discover Airlines passengers, this means that they will have to prepare for flight cancellations and delays in the coming days. At the same time, the conflict is putting a strain on the relationship between the unions and management, which is likely to be put to the test in the next round of negotiations.
Outlook: What happens next?
The coming days will show whether the pressure of the strike strengthens the unions' negotiating position or whether Discover Airlines is able to stabilize the situation. It is clear that the conflict over collective bargaining autonomy at Discover Airlines reflects a larger problem in the Lufthansa Group. It is about the question of how the balance of power between the unions and management can be rebalanced in a changing industry.
Passengers can only hope that the parties will soon reach an agreement and that air traffic will run smoothly again. But regardless of the outcome of this conflict, the labor dispute at Discover Airlines shows how tense the situation is in the aviation industry and how important it is to find solutions that meet both the interests of employees and the needs of passengers.