New Articles
  December 4th, 2015 | Written by

Cargolux Averts Strike With Progress in Union Talks

[shareaholic app="share_buttons" id="13106399"]

Sharelines

  • Cargolux averted a strike with a “major breakthrough” in negotiations with unions.
  • Cargolux unions say “no final agreement” but that the recent negotiations “brought new movement.”
  • 94 percent of Cargolux union members approved strike if no agreement could be reached.
  • Union: “Cargolux and the unions will continue their negotiations.”

Cargolux, the Luxembourg-based all-cargo airline, announced earlier this week a “major breakthrough” in negotiations on a new collective work agreement (CWA) with unions OGBL and LCGB.

The unions in questions were less sanguine, with LCGB releasing a statement stating that “no final agreement could be reached” but that the recent negotiations “brought new movement to the Cargolux collective work agreement negotiations.”

Cargolux said the negotiations breakthrough “clears the road to growth and financial sustainability, sealing a strong pact for the future of the Cargolux Group, where all parties underline that they share a common vision for stability, sustainable growth and prosperity at Cargolux.”

The negotiations for a new collective work agreement at Cargolux began in September 2014. The most recent agreement expired on November 30.

The negotiations suffered from a lengthy deadlock, despite what the union describes as “numerous concessions offered by the pilots to enable the airline to increase productivity and reduce costs.”

The union polled its members in advance of the contract expiration and 94 percent approved a strike if no agreement could be reached.

The latest intensive rounds of negotiations focused on crew related items, according to the company. The principles reached included investing in new jobs, including 100 new pilot jobs, and an additional aircraft.

LCGB emphasized that “Cargolux and the unions will continue their negotiations…with the intention of finding an acceptable solution…”