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Austrian Airlines workers threaten strike on Good Friday

The Local Austria
The Local Austria - [email protected]
Austrian Airlines workers threaten strike on Good Friday

Unions representing flight crews have rejected the latest collective bargaining offer by Austrian Airlines and new negotiations are needed - but a strike may come.

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On Monday, worker meetings of Austrian Airlines crews caused the cancellation of 102 flights, as The Local reported. But workers decided to reject the company's latest offer in the collective bargaining negotiations, which could lead to a strike on Good Friday if a deal is not reached soon.

"The 1,200 employees participating in the works meeting unanimously rejected the offer of the Austrian Airlines (AUA) management and instructed the works council and the union to conduct further negotiations until Maundy Thursday," Vida spokeswoman Yvonne Heuber told Kurier.

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She added: "There must be an acceptable offer on the table; otherwise, there will be further action. It cannot be ruled out that these will start as early as Good Friday. A strike is never the goal, we want to reach a solution at the negotiating table, but that is now up to the AUA management".

READ ALSO: What are your rights if your trip is delayed or cancelled in Austria?

Workers and companies have been discussing wage readjustments as inflation continues to be high in Austria.

Ten negotiations have so far been unsuccessful. AUA said it is offering its employees an average 12.3 percent salary increase, representing the highest settlement in Austria, said Günther Ofner, who represents the professional aviation group in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.

He, therefore, had little understanding of the union's "not exactly constructive approach".

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"Austrians deserve a relaxed start to the Easter holidays. No one in the country will understand why vida and the works council are blocking such a fair offer," Ofner said in a statement.

However, the union claims that the company has only offered to compensate for last year's inflation (8.6 percent).

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