KV dispute continues

AUA cancels 92 flights on Thursday

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

Just last week, a total of 400 AUA flights were canceled on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, with 50,000 passengers not reaching their destinations as planned. Now passengers will have to stay on the ground again on Thursday - due to collective bargaining disputes.

The AUA workforce is planning a works meeting for next Thursday, April 4, starting at 9 am. As a result, 92 flights will be canceled on this day, as has now been announced. Just last week, 400 flights fell victim to an AUA strike during the Easter vacations of all times. Numerous passengers were unable to take off.

8000 passengers affected
The approximately 8000 passengers affected have already been informed and rebooked, according to a press release issued by the airline on Tuesday. Originally, 325 flights were scheduled for Thursday.

According to the information provided, 80 flights can be operated during the works meeting. Long-haul flights will also take place as planned. However, short-term adjustments to the flight schedule are still possible. "Passengers are therefore asked to check their flight status in good time on the austrian.com website, the Austrian app or via Travel ID (with registration)," the statement continued.

Fronts hardened
The background to the works meetings and the renewed flight cancellations are the stalled collective bargaining negotiations and subsequent strikes. The union is demanding that the wage level of the AUA workforce be brought into line with that of the Lufthansa Group. However, the company has so far shown no intention of complying.

The fronts between AUA management and the union have recently hardened noticeably: AUA boss Annette Mann suggested that the Lufthansa Group could serve Vienna with cheaper airlines in future if the workforce did not reduce its demands. The trade union vida was "irritated" by the "threats from the German side".

Millions in damages due to dispute
At the upcoming works meeting, the AUA works council will discuss the next steps with the workforce. Vida boss Roman Hebenstreit recently did not rule out further strikes. Negotiations are not expected to take place again until next week. "Until then, talks will take place at various levels," explained an AUA spokeswoman. On Tuesday, the airline estimated the financial damage caused by the collective bargaining dispute at EUR 24 million.