The management of Air Berlin and LTU have successfully concluded the pay negotiations for cockpit personnel with the trade union VC (Vereinigung Cockpit).
The new collective salary agreement for the cockpit personnel of LTU and Air Berlin includes a guarantee of 68 block hours per month backdated to 01.01.2009, and 69 block hours from 01.01.2010. In addition both companies ruled out any enforced redundancies before 31.12.2010. In return the union and the employers agreed to a pay freeze on linear salary increases until the end of 2010. Other elements are the safeguarding of the LTU cockpit personnel’s standard of living, an extra grade on the pay scale for Air Berlin’s co-pilots and the introduction of a sector supplement. Furthermore, a retirement plan funded by the employers is also being negotiated for Air Berlin’s cockpit personnel.
“This pay settlement has achieved a very responsible outcome,” said Christoph Debus, Air Berlin’s Chief Commercial Officer. “After all, since this is the most serious crisis that the airline industry has experienced for quite some time, this compromise gives our employees protection against dismissal and a guarantee of working hours to provide a high level of job and income security. At the same time our employees, by accepting a pay freeze, are actively helping to strengthen the competitiveness of the Air Berlin group even further.”
The collective agreements will run until 31.12.2010. The pay settlement is subject to ratification by 13.11.2009 and to an official secret ballot conducted by VC.
Foto: ©Carstino Delmonte/ Touristikpresse.net
