Lufthansa agrees on ground staff pay raise after strikes

German airline Lufthansa’s ground staff will have a pay rise of up to 18 per cent in two stages, the Verdi union said on March 28.

The two parties cemented the details of a deal which would prevent further strikes as Easter travel season approaches.
Lufthansa and the Verdi union had agreed in principle for a pay hike over a two-year period for about 25,000 ground staff members a day before.

Independent mediators represented both the sides for breaking a lockjam in collective wage negotiations, after their dispute resulted in recurrent strike action and disrupted operations at German airports. 

The average pay hike would be around 12.5 per cent, Lufthansa said. According to Verdi, the wages would rise by 7 per cent retroactively from January 1.

All employees from March 1, 2025 would be entitled to a basic amount of 150 euros and an additional pay increase of 2 per cent. 

The staff will also get a bonus to make up for inflation of 3,000 euros in two tranches, with the first 2,000 euros being paid immediately and the remainder in November, Verdi said.

Strike action still affects the flag carrier’s operations in Austria, where Lufthansa's local subsidiary AUA cancelled 400 flights because of a strike by ground staff lasting from Thursday to midday Friday.

(With Reuters Inputs)