Germany: Lufthansa pilots' union call for two-day strike

Lufthansa pilots are set to strike next week on Monday and Tuesday, the pilot's trade union announced on Saturday. Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa Cityline and Eurowings are all included in the call to down tools. The work stoppage is expected to run from 12:01 am on Monday (22:01 UTC on Sunday) through to 23:59 pm on Tuesday, the union said. What the pilots' union has said "The Cockpit Union feels compelled to take this step after the employers showed no discernible willingness to reach a solution in several collective bargaining disputes," the organization said. "Despite a deliberate decision not to take strike action over the Easter holidays, no serious offers were forthcoming. During this period, there was neither a response nor any discernible willingness to engage in talks on the part of the employers," union President Andreas Pinheiro said. The move comes just a day after Lufthansa's cabin crew halted work, after the UFO trade union called a one-day strike starting at 10:00 pm on Friday for its members both with Lufthansa and its Cityline regional subsidiary. Germany's flagship carrier canceled hundreds of flights in advance of the strike, as it struggled to mitigate the impact of the walkout. Cancellations hit Lufthansa hubs in Munich and Frankfurt, as well as other airports, including Leipzig/Halle, Berlin and Stuttgart. At its largest operation in Frankfurt, nearly 75% of some 350 scheduled Lufthansa departures were canceled. Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez