Negotiations between Lufthansa and the Independent Flight Attendants’ Organisation (UFO) have broken down over proposed changes to service regulations, with UFO calling Lufthansa’s demands a “Katalog des Grauens” – a catalogue of horrors – and refusing further talks under the current conditions.
The impasse, revealed on March 10, 2026, centers on Lufthansa’s attempts to revise the Manteltarifvertrag (MTV), a collective agreement governing working conditions for cabin crew. UFO accuses the airline of seeking to introduce concepts like “demand-driven seasonality” and “smart productivity” into the MTV, which the union views as detrimental to its members.
According to a memo distributed to its members, UFO leadership “stood up and walked out” of a meeting with Lufthansa representatives on Friday, March 8, 2026. The union stated that the proposals represent a “harsh affront” and that the positions of the two sides are “light years apart.”
The MTV has been open for renegotiation for 14 months, following the failure of broader negotiations concerning the entire Lufthansa cabin crew in the late summer of 2025. UFO subsequently separated the MTV issue into its own dedicated negotiations.
The breakdown in talks comes as Lufthansa as well faces potential industrial action from its pilots, represented by the Vereinigung Cockpit, adding to the airline’s growing labor tensions. UFO previously initiated a warning strike in February to increase pressure on Lufthansa during the MTV negotiations.
Lufthansa has not yet responded to a request for comment on UFO’s characterization of the negotiations or its refusal to continue talks based on the current proposals. No further negotiation dates have been scheduled.
