The pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit initiates a vote on possible strike measures at the Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings. The background is that the employee representatives are of the opinion that the employer has "not submitted a negotiable offer".

Until August 31, 2022, the members of the Cockpit Association working at Eurowings can vote on possible industrial action. Among other things, the union said: “The collective bargaining between the Cockpit Association and Eurowings has come to a standstill. Despite several rounds of talks, hardly any progress could be made on how the burdens on employees should be adequately regulated in the future. The employer has not submitted a negotiable offer. The Eurowings tariff commission, together with the VC board, has therefore decided to initiate a ballot that will run until August 31st”.

At the same time, the Cockpit Association emphasizes that the fact that the union members have voted does not mean that there will actually be a strike. However, the mere scheduling of a ballot is certainly a means of exerting pressure on the employer. The VC also criticizes that the "thin staffing level" has met a "strong increase in air traffic". So far, "there have been no sensible responses to this situation," according to workers' representatives.

“A ballot is not a strike decision and not a break-up of talks. Of course, we are still willing to talk and would like to reach a solution through negotiations," says VC spokesman Lars Frontini. “At Eurowings, however, we have seen very little movement on the part of the employer for a long time. That is why we are now asking the affected colleagues for an opinion with the ballot.”