Austrian Airlines crew and management reach wage agreement

Vienna, Mar. 31, (dpa/GNA) - Flight crew and management of Austrian Airlines have agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement, the management and the trade union Vida said on Thursday. 

According to Vida, a wage increase of 11% was negotiated retroactively to March 1. The agreement is valid for one year. 

Workers had previously threatened to hold a strike at Easter. 

“We are pleased that a stable, carefree start to the Easter holidays has been secured in the interests of our guests,” Austrian Airlines said of the agreement. 

On Tuesday, more than 100 flights had been cancelled because of a meeting of crew members. They rejected an offered wage increase of 12.3%, as according to the union’s calculation this amounted to only 8.5% and thus below the inflation rate. 

Now the negotiated rate of increase, including a cost-of-living bonus, is 11%, explained Vida representative Daniel Liebhart. 

GNA