After 36 hours

Strike ended: First AUA planes take off again

AUA aircraft will be taking off from Vienna Airport again from Friday.(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

The Austrian Airlines cabin crew ended their 36-hour strike at midday on Good Friday. According to AUA, operations will be "gradually" resumed after hundreds of flight cancellations. The first flights from Vienna are scheduled to take off at around 1 p.m., with delays to be expected.

However, the dispute is still simmering and the workforce is planning another works meeting for April 4, which could lead to further disruptions. AUA canceled a total of 400 flights on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Vienna Airport in particular was affected, but also some provincial airports. According to AUA, 50,000 passengers did not reach their destinations as planned.

Will low-cost airlines fly instead of AUA planes in future?
The fronts between the AUA management and the on-board staff remain hardened despite the willingness of both sides to talk. The union is demanding that the wage level of AUA staff be brought into line with that of the Lufthansa Group. The company has so far shown no willingness to comply. AUA boss Annette Mann even suggested that the Lufthansa Group could serve Vienna with cheaper airlines in future if the workforce did not reduce its demands.

Instead of holding further talks, the German side had begun to issue threats, criticized vida boss Roman Hebenstreit on Friday. "This has irritated us to a certain extent," continued Hebenstreit. The works council will now inform the workforce about this, discuss the next steps and "certainly discuss our own position". He does not rule out another strike: "All steps" are "possible".

"Our arms remain outstretched"
At the same time, Hebenstreit emphasized his willingness to talk to AUA management. "Our arms remain outstretched", said the vida boss. It is "permanently communicated that appointments are possible, you just have to say when." Once again, Hebenstreit called for "fair and equal treatment of Austrian employees in the Lufthansa Group" to be accepted.

The strike is over, but a negotiated solution is not in sight.(Bild: APA/ROBERT JAEGER)

On Friday morning, AUA management stated: "We are still open to talks at any time and would like to find an economically viable solution in the interests of our employees as soon as possible." Talks are ongoing at various levels, but no new negotiation date has been set to date. Previously, it had already been stated several times that the wage increases demanded by the union were unaffordable.

17 rounds of negotiations without result
The dispute over a new collective agreement has been dragging on for weeks now, with 17 rounds of negotiations having taken place so far without any results. No date has yet been set for further negotiations. Hundreds of flights have been canceled since negotiations began.