On-board staff at Austrian Airlines threaten to strike this week, involving at least 3,500 employees. The collective agreement negotiations were terminated on Sunday without a resolution, and no talks took place on Monday. However, both parties are willing to continue discussions.
The vida unionist Daniel Liebhart stated that the union is prepared to negotiate at any time and has even set aside a room for negotiations at the ÖGB. The union emphasized the importance of financial numbers in their offer to Austrian Airlines.
AUA spokeswoman Sophie Matkovits mentioned that the airline is eager to discuss its offer but requires a significant movement from the union. Matkovits added that a decision regarding flight cancellations due to the strike threat will be made on Tuesday. If approximately 430 flights are canceled for 52,000 passengers, it could cost the airline 15 million euros. Austrian Airlines is already offering potentially affected customers the option to rebook or cancel their flights free of charge if necessary.
In case of flight cancellations, the airline must provide replacement transportation to passengers, which could involve flights with other airlines, train or bus journeys, or compensation for those unable to find alternatives. The stake in negotiations is high for both sides as the union seeks better financial terms while the airline calculates offers based on inflation and one-off payments. Despite the looming strike threat, both parties are open to further discussions to reach a resolution.
