Swiss pilots go on strike!

A historic strike at Zurich Airport is becoming more and more likely. The pilots of the Swiss airline approved the strike demand of the pilots union Aeropers with 95.9 percent yes and 4.1 percent no votes. The result was very clear and will be made official soon, several insiders confirmed to Blick on Sunday. The strike, yes, was anticipated, but not so clear. Since April 1, 2022, the pilots of the Lufthansa subsidiary have been flying without a valid collective bargaining agreement (GAV). Since then, several rounds of negotiations between Switzerland and the Aeropers have failed.

Contrary to what was originally planned, the pilots do not want to go on strike next weekend when many Swiss return from their autumn holidays. This is due to pending talks between CEO Dieter Vranckx (49) and the Swiss leadership around Aeropers. Because a round of negotiations on Friday a week ago made the union positive, as evidenced by an internal statement by Blick.

last chance talks

He writes to Aeropers members: “In this first meeting, we had the impression that Switzerland finally understood the mood of the union and is now seriously interested in a solution that takes into account your interests.” The union therefore decided to accept two other meeting dates, October 22nd and 23rd, in parallel with the strike’s sword swing. “It is still unclear whether a solution can be found.”

There is great hope in piloting circles that the Swiss leadership will recognize the pilots’ goodwill. “We’re waiting for the results of the negotiations and we’re not going on strike in the middle of the autumn holidays – that’s good for Switzerland,” a longtime pilot told Blick. If those negotiations also fail, there could be a historic strike at Zurich Airport on the last weekend of October.