When the leaders of the Aeropers pilots union meet with the Swiss today, there is more to the agenda than preventing a strike: It is about restoring the reputation of the Swiss airline. The Lufthansa subsidiary has been in turmoil for months: failed staffing policy, reduced service, poor communication, begging for tax money.
What customers once reserved as premium items is now just mediocre. The Swiss leadership around CEO Dieter Vranckx (49) can’t handle another low blow in the form of a pilot strike during the fall holidays.
Its pilots have been flying without a valid collective bargaining agreement since April. They demand inflation compensation and better planability of their operations. Switzerland, on the other hand, needs little action on wages. And he wants pilots to be even more flexible. The fronts have hardened, and not for the first time.
Swiss boss Vranckx is considered a sociable person and maintains a “quite relaxed” management style, as evidenced by his headquarters in Kloten. Vranckx did not take part in the first round of talks for Switzerland, but coach Oliver Buchhofer (45). It is considered harsh and not very accommodating. Insiders believe that this is exactly why no agreement has been reached so far. Chief Vranckx is back today (as he was last week). This significantly increases the chances of reaching an agreement.
Pilots fight for recognition
On the other side sits Aeropers President Clemens Kopetz, 38, who has served as a First Officer in Switzerland for twelve years. Almost all pilots like him are union members and stand behind the demands.
They get sukkur from the ground and from the cabin crew who have to chew much harder bread. It was announced on Friday that ground staff would at least get more pay: an indication that the winds were turning in the Swiss administration.
After all, pilots want recognition too. At the height of the corona pandemic, they voluntarily waived a portion of their wages. This should now be honored.
The best and most viable option for the Swiss management team would be to embed the pilots by providing compensation for living expenses and – where possible – making their job duties easier to plan. The advantage for the airline: Your machines stay in the air.
strike likely
But if a strike occurs, Swiss machines will be left on the ground, customers can claim cancellation compensation and the airline’s reputation will be permanently damaged. A scenario that would not please even the leaders around Carsten Spohr (55) at Lufthansa’s Frankfurt headquarters, who have hitherto been unwilling to do anything with the pilots’ demands.
The probability of a strike is greater than it has ever been in Switzerland’s 20-year history. Customers may be advised to wait with reservations. At least until an agreement is reached.
The union wants to inform the public tomorrow about how the pilot dispute will proceed.