Lufthansa Group and Vereinigung Cockpit conclude long-term collective agreement

The members of the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots’ union have accepted the proposal negotiated last week between Lufthansa Group and VC. The union’s members had been asked to approve a proposed new ‘VTV’ collective remuneration agreement and ‘MTV’ collective terms-of-employment agreement for the pilots of Lufthansa Airline and Lufthansa Cargo, who number some 5,200 personnel.

The new VTV will remain in effect until at least December 31, 2026, and the new MTV until at least December 31, 2027. Both agreements include a corresponding duty to maintain industrial peace throughout their validity.

The key elements in the new agreements now approved by VC members are:

• Salary table increases (interest effects included) of more than 18 percent:
  • 7 percent on December 1, 2023
  • 5 percent on January 1, 2025 and
  • 5 percent on January 1, 2026
• A one-off payment of 3.75 percent of fixed annual compensation, up to a maximum of 3,000 euros, in 2023
• Improved variable compensation which is aligned to business success
• More plannable leisure time and roster stability for pilots, including the fixing of ten free days a month
• Further growth through the assimilation of former Germanwings pilots into Lufthansa Airline

The new VTV and MTV agreements are still subject to editorial finalization and the approval of the relevant bodies.

“This collective agreement with Vereinigung Cockpit will provide additional stability in our operations and thus also more reliability for our customers,” says Lufthansa Group Executive Board Member and Labor Director Michael Niggemann. “With it we are improving not only our pilots’ remuneration, but also their ability to maintain an effective balance between their profession and their private lives. This new agreement is not easy for us to conclude from an economic perspective,” Niggemann continues. “But its long-term nature provides Lufthansa Airline with a sound planning foundation for the years ahead, particularly for its intended long-haul growth. The fact that the new agreement was found amicably around the negotiating table strengthens our social partnership, too.”