Thursday morning shift begins strike action

The first shift, originally scheduled to start operations at Findel Airport on Thursday morning, is officially on strike. This development was confirmed by the Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (LCGB) and the Independent Luxembourg Trade Union Confederation (OGBL) to our colleagues at RTL.lu, with the trade unions adding that all workers are joining in. Michelle Cloos, representing the OGBL, stated that it does indeed look like this collective action will result in grounded flights.

Several aircraft are stuck on the tarmac at airports including Houston, Baku, Chicago, and Dubai on Thursday morning as a result of strike action by Cargolux employees.

According to information obtained by RTL, 120 mechanics are currently on strike and "a large majority" of the 630 pilots are planning to join the ranks of the strikers.

At the core of this dispute lie unsuccessful negotiations spanning one and a half years, aimed at forging a new collective agreement. Cargolux's management and trade unions have grappled unsuccessfully over overarching issues, including wage adjustments.

Management officials, on Wednesday, contested the demands as excessive, emphasising that employees had received substantial and exceptional bonuses in the preceding three years. They deemed the call for a 6% wage increase over four years as "unreasonable."

In response, the OGBL and LCGB argue that wage increases in other countries surpass these figures by a significant margin, and the sizeable bonuses disclosed on Wednesday could not be equated with wage increases.

Cargolux CEO Richard Forson expressed his regret over the potential harm a strike could inflict on the cargo airline. The trade unions say the CEO has only himself to blame by not responding to their demands.

The LCGB and OGBL have announced a joint press conference scheduled for Thursday morning at 10.30am to address the matter at the Cargo Centre.