You know this awkward situation: when two people argue, it becomes difficult, and sometimes difficult for the person in the middle. As a journalist in the aeronautical and aviation industry, I have been exposed to this tense environment over the past two years.
On the one hand, a trade union demanding better working conditions and higher wages for flight attendants. On the other hand, the Swiss, which, as a company, must operate at a profit. Both are understandable. And the dispute is relevant because: The Lufthansa subsidiary is one of the most important and largest employers in Switzerland.
The job of a flight attendant was glamorous and highly regarded in the last century. With an agreement reached Thursday in the CLA dispute, Swiss is trying to restore that glam factor.
But this is generally impossible. Real wages for flight attendants used to be higher, but never particularly high. Rather, the work’s reputation was tied to time. In the 1970s, it was flight attendants who were one of the very few Swiss who were allowed to discover the big world.
They saw America, Asia and Africa. Your impressions and experiences were in demand at home. No wonder: everyone else could not afford such trips.
Today everything is different. With the growing prosperity in Switzerland, we have the opportunity to discover the world. We no longer have to ask the flight attendant what New York is. We fly there ourselves. And even more experience, as the Swiss employees have to return home in a day.
Flight attendants have probably lost the glam factor forever. However, the agreement succeeded. Employees receive higher wages and better working conditions. It’s good for them.
And Switzerland is in such a good financial position after the pandemic that it can afford an investment totaling 100 million Swiss francs with this Collective Labor Agreement (GAV). A good sign from one of the most important employers in the Swiss economy.
Nicholas Imfeld
Source: Blick
I am David Miller, a highly experienced news reporter and author for 24 Instant News. I specialize in opinion pieces and have written extensively on current events, politics, social issues, and more. My writing has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC News. I strive to be fair-minded while also producing thought-provoking content that encourages readers to engage with the topics I discuss.
