Pilots at German airline Lufthansa have voted overwhelmingly to go on strike over the company’s pension plans, the Cockpit Association said on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the union said a clear majority of members voted in favour of industrial action, which is set to affect the core Lufthansa Airlines brand and its freight subsidiary Lufthansa Cargo.

The strike comes after union representatives and management failed to reach an agreement on pensions for the group’s 4,800 pilots.

No dates have yet been announced for the strike. The last work stoppage by the airline’s pilots came in 2022.

According to the union, 88% of pilots at Lufthansa and 96% of those working for Lufthansa Cargo voted in favour of the strike, with turnout reaching at least 90% among both groups.

“Pension provision is a central foundation of life planning for pilots,” said union spokesman Arne Karstens. “We expect Lufthansa to take the signals from the workforce seriously and finally present a negotiable offer on company pension schemes.”

The crisis-ridden Lufthansa brand is currently undergoing a tough restructuring programme after years of losses. Its chief executive Jens Ritter said there were no funds available to top up the “already very good” company pension scheme. 

Read more @YahooNews