Will strikes follow again?

AUA: Union rejects collective bargaining offer

AUA aircraft at Vienna Airport

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

At AUA, the fronts between the vida union and management have hardened further. The unionized members of the cabin crew have rejected the collective bargaining offer by 90 percent. Passengers will probably have to prepare for further flight cancellations

The turnout was 88 percent. Around 60 percent of the cabin crew are members of the union. vida had already held out the prospect of strikes in advance if the offer was rejected.

AUA offer: wage increase of 8%, then 5% for 2025 and 2026
The union had asked its members of AUA's flying staff to vote on the airline's latest collective bargaining offer on Monday. The AUA offer was a pay rise of 8% for this year and 5% for 2025 and 2026 respectively. Co-pilots were to receive up to 10 percent more.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER (Symbolbild))

Will there be new strikes?
A strike and several works meetings have already led to hundreds of flight cancellations this spring. This massively increased the loss in the first quarter and pushed the adjusted operating result (EBIT) to minus 122 million euros, the airline announced on Monday evening. The effects of the trade union action had led to "the second worst Q1 result in the company's history".

Trade unionist Hebenstreit in the "Krone" interview
Read Conny Bischofberger's big "Krone" interview with trade unionist Roman Hebenstreit (53) about the tough negotiations here. 

Roman Hebenstreit, Chairman of the vida trade union

(Bild: Gerhard Bartel)

Criticism of vida survey
WKO aviation boss - and Vienna Airport board member - Günther Ofner criticized the vida survey on collective bargaining even before the results were published. It was a "fake survey" that was neither transparent nor representative, as only around a quarter of AUA employees were able to take part. Even GPA union members were excluded.