Lufthansa UFO strikes again: Industrial action to disrupt flights in November
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
After the trade union UFO (Unabhängige Flugbegleiter Gesellschaft) did not strike, as they had announced during October, a new industrial action was announced today. In a video, Daniel Flohr, vice-chairman of the union, announced that Lufthansa cabin crew would lay down their work for 48 hours during Thursday and Friday.
In a video released on YouTube at 2 pm, Daniel Flohr announced that all Lufthansa flights to and from Germany will be affected between Thursday (November 7), starting at 12 am and until Friday (November 8) at midnight. On Thursday, there will be a rally at Munich airport as well as a protest march in front of the company headquarters in Frankfurt on Friday. It was also explained that further calls to take action affecting other airlines owned by Lufthansa Group may be possible at any time. The affected airlines could be Eurowings, Germanwings, Lufthansa CityLine and SunExpress Germany.
The call to take industrial action follows a strike ballot in which an overwhelming majority of the union members voted for further measures. Lufthansa has been refusing to negotiate with the union for months, calling the proposed strikes illegal and has not recognised the current union executive as a representative of the union. More than 100 flights were cancelled during the last dispute on the 20th October 2019.
Our recommendations if your Lufthansa flight is affected by the strike
- Hold on to all your important travel documents (booking confirmation, boarding pass etc.)
- Request an official delay or cancellation statement from the airline
- Keep all receipts for all the expenses that you have had in connection to your flight delay or cancellation.
- Keep the notification received from the airline regarding your flight disruption
- If you have booked your own replacement flight, make sure to keep the receipt of the newly booked flight
What are my rights if my flight has been affected by a strike?
If your flight schedule has been disrupted due to industrial action then you are protected under Regulation EC No 261/2004. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has stated previously that industrial actions are not to be considered an extraordinary circumstance in every case. This means that if your flight has been delayed or cancelled because of a crew strike you may be entitled to compensation.
Regardless of if your flight grants you the right to be compensated, you are entitled to care from the airline. This should be offered to you in the form of:
- Meals and refreshments
- Means of communication (phone call, email etc.)
- Hotel accommodation in case of an overnight stay
- Refund for all expenses that have occurred due to the strike (keep all receipts)
Flight cancelled due to crew industrial action
If your flight has been cancelled you are entitled to a full refund of the ticket if you’ve decided not to fly with the airline anymore or if they have not offered you a replacement flight. This would be added to the compensation you may be entitled to.
If you have been notified of your flight’s disruption less than 14 days prior to the departure day, you may also be entitled to receive monetary compensation of up to €600 (around £530). Conditions apply so check your flight for free with our claim calculator to find out if you have the right to claim compensation.
Lufthansa flight affected? Claim your compensation
You may be entitled to receive compensation if you have arrived at your final destination with a delay greater than 3 hours. Your rights are covered even if you’ve missed a connecting flight due to a shorter delay when departing from the EU. Make sure to learn if you can claim compensation for your delay or cancellation.
After checking your flight, you can submit your claim under our no win, no fee basis and our team will quickly assess your case and inform you if we can proceed to claim your compensation. The best of all is that our 25% win fee covers all possible legal costs associated with claiming your compensation! Even if we have to go to court for it.
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