Passengers of the AUA airline are threatened with new trouble: As reported, the AUA is canceling around 400 flights on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday due to strikes. Today, Wednesday, the works council announced the next works meeting for April 4th. According to an AUA spokeswoman, the start and duration are not known, but restrictions are to be expected and another warning strike is also possible. According to the spokeswoman, the problems are likely to cause additional costs of up to ten million euros. So far the costs for the AUA amount to 24 million euros.
Before the strike began today, both the company and the union side presented their views on the matter. AUA boss Annette Mann made it clear in the ZiB2 how far management and the union have drifted apart: “What is currently being demanded is absolutely unrealistic and far beyond the AUA’s economic performance.” The manager may have to rethink the airline, said the manager. If the union enforces its demands, the AUA in its current form will no longer have a future.
Image: APA/AUSTRIAN AIRLINES
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Image: APA/AUSTRIAN AIRLINES
As reported, the company offers a deal over 22 months – 18 percent more including one-off payments if the earnings figures are correct. That’s not enough for the union, which speaks of a salary difference of 40 percent between AUA and the German parent Lufthansa.
In response to the criticism that Mann himself had not taken part in any of the 17 rounds of negotiations, she replied that the decision had been made to take part in the negotiations as a “team”. Of course, she herself is always well informed and also gets involved informally. And, directed at the union: “No one has called me yet.”
The counterattack came from Roman Hebenstreit, head of the vida union. “We are currently experiencing a strike culture that German managers are in the process of bringing to Austria,” said Hebenstreit on Ö1. In the future, we will also have to prepare for “harder, longer and more intense conflicts” in this country, said the union boss. There is a threat of “German strikes” and he does not rule out work stoppages during the peak summer travel season. “It is extremely incomprehensible that part of the group is treated like a last rag.”