Union Strike

From the BBC:
"Lufthansa pilots prepare for fresh strike"

Pilots at Lufthansa, Europe's biggest airline, will go on strike on Monday and Tuesday as their dispute over retirement benefits continues. The walkout, the ninth since April, will affect short- and medium-haul flights across Germany from 12.00 (11:00 GMT) until 23.00. The VC union also said Lufthansa's long-haul and cargo services would affected on Tuesday. Lufthansa asked for new talks and called the strike disproportionate. The airline wants to phase out its early retirement scheme, something the pilots are strongly opposed to.  They are currently able to retire at the age of 55 and receive up to 60% of their pay until the standard retirement age of 65.  Lufthansa said it had made concessions in recent talks, including giving the pilots a 5% pay rise. The strikes this year have knocked $160m (£102m) off the airlines' operating profits. The union said "despite all efforts for compromise proposals" by Lufthansa pilots during several rounds of negotiations since October, it had been unable to come to a satisfactory agreement with the company's management.

^ This is a complete disgrace on the part of the VC union. They clearly do not care about doing their jobs and putting the passengers first. This is their 9th strike this year alone. The Union should realize that every time they go on strike thousands of innocent people around the world are affected. Not only that but the airline looses its credibility as people look for other airlines to fly. If the airline looses money then they don't need as many employees, etc. I'm surprised the German Government doesn't do something about this 9th strike. What they need is a person like President Reagan who told the striking Air Traffic Controllers to go back to work or else. When many didn't he fired over 11,000 of them and banned them from civil service for life. That showed people that he meant business and they couldn't just put other people's lives on hold. There was once a need for unions around the world, but today they are only needed in Third World, developing countries. The majority of Union reps (around the industrialized world) are not in it to make things better for the ordinary worker, but to make their own lives richer. It is Unions like this one that make all the jokes where you have 16 people taking 2 days to change 1 light bulb (because of "union rules.") I'm not saying Lufthansa is  perfect, but they are being held hostage by their union and so is every person around the world who was booked to fly them. I am going to Germany, but luckily I am on another airline. Coming back though I could be affected if the Union doesn't get it's act together and do what is right for everyone and get back to work. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-30267575