Dispute over higher wages

Even before the strike: next AUA meeting already fixed

The flying staff at AUA comprises around 3500 employees.

(Bild: ROBERT JAEGER / APA / picturedesk.com)

In the wage dispute at AUA, the in-flight works council is igniting the next stage of escalation. Before the 36-hour strike has even begun, the next works meeting has already been announced for April 4. For the negotiating AUA board member Francesco Sciortino, this is a "slap in the face" and a further loss of millions.

As reported, there will be a 36-hour work stoppage at the Lufthansa subsidiary AUA from noon on Thursday to 12 noon on Friday. The airline puts the financial loss at around 15 million euros. Around 50,000 passengers and 400 flights are affected. In addition, a total of around nine million euros has been lost as a result of works meetings announced at short notice in recent weeks. This makes a total loss of a proud 24 million euros.

"A slap in the face"
Now the in-flight works council is going one better. Even before the start of the longest strike in domestic aviation, another AUA works meeting was announced for Thursday, April 4. For the AUA board member responsible, Francesco Sciortino, this is like a "slap in the face" after 17 rounds of negotiations to date. The airline will probably have to cancel hundreds of flights again and rebook thousands of passengers.

The manager anticipates losses of a further five to ten million euros. "We are very sorry for our passengers," said Sciortino about the cancellations. But sometimes you don't know what else you can do. The airline's last offer, an increase of up to 18 percent for pilots and flight attendants and up to 28 percent more for co-pilots, had already exceeded the financial pain threshold. The union, on the other hand, continues to demand an increase of a whopping 40 percent and thus, according to the employee representatives, to reach the level of Lufthansa.

AUA board member Francesco Sciortino: "Sometimes you don't know what else you can do".

(Bild: Austrian Airlines)

For AUA chief negotiator Sciortino, however, it is not so relevant what Lufthansa staff earn, but rather what they can afford. The German market is different to Austria, for example in terms of purchasing power. And the proportion of low-cost airlines is also higher in Austria. In addition, many services at AUA are free or better than at Lufthansa. These include, for example, the cleaning of uniforms, free crew meals, less stand-by, fewer last-minute roster changes, etc.

60 percent of routes no longer profitable with 40 percent wage increase
In addition, AUA would no longer be competitive if wages were increased by 40 percent in one fell swoop, and six out of ten routes would no longer be profitable, according to the AUA manager. Low-cost airlines such as Ryanair are already putting pressure on the airline. 

Managing Board hopes for common sense and calls for a "sustainable" solution
For now, the airline wants to manage the 36-hour strike in the best possible way for its customers. It then hopes that reason will prevail with the other side. Sciortino is convinced that there will be a solution in the end. However, it must be a viable solution.

Sciortino, who was present at all 17 rounds of talks, is somewhat disappointed with vida trade unionist Daniel Liebhart (who is responsible for the aviation sector) and vida Chairman Roman Hebenstreit. Neither of them had taken part in a single negotiation and were now standing up and presenting big demands. In addition, the fact that instead of talking to each other, another works meeting has already been announced is evidence of a lack of solution orientation on the part of the union and the in-flight works council. But perhaps there will be an Easter miracle.