The deal brings an end to a six-month period without an accord.
SWISS has succeeded in averting potential strike action by its cockpit crew, by reaching an agreement between its management and the pilots' union. This has brought an end to an extensive negotiation period, with stability now lying on the horizon for the Basel-headquartered airline. Let's take a look at what this means.
The key takeaway from the accord that has recently been struck between SWISS and the Aeropers pilots' union, which also represents cockpit crew at Edelweiss Air, is that it has stopped the prospect of a strike at Switzerland's flag carrier.
This had been a looming threat at the airline in recent times, with Simple Flying reporting last month that its pilots would be voting on potential October strike action following failed negotiations. This was planned to begin last week, causing disruption over the autumn holiday period. However, as reported by The Local, it was postponed until a meeting with SWISS CEO Dieter Vranckx.
Aeropers President Clemens Kopetz stated at the time that "we want a solution at the negotiating table. However, should the CEO fail to take advantage of this opportunity, we are prepared to enforce the legitimate interests of our members with industrial action." Luckily, Reuters reported this morning that talks between the airline and the union had resulted in an accord, preventing the strike.
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Until now, pilots at SWISS had been working without an accord for around half a year following failed talks in April. The new contract agreement marks a key turning point, and the pilots aren't the only ones with a new deal in place.
Indeed, Bern-based publication Swissinfo notes that last week, the ground staff at SWISS reached a deal with the airline regarding a forthcoming pay rise. This will see the employees of this division receive a raise of at least 2%, alongside a CHF2,500 ($2,472) 'COVID Bonus' to replace lost earnings during this pandemic.
The agreement, which concerns around 1,500 members of ground staff at SWISS will come into effect in January. Union head Philipp Hadorn stated that "the wage increases from January 1st suggest that management has, at least for ground staff, recognized the need to make up for lost wages after the pandemic."
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Having come to agreements with key divisions in its cockpit crew and ground staff, SWISS will now be on stronger ground as it looks to next year. As the airline detailed in a statement published last week, it is aiming for greater stability in 2023, with planned capacity levels of 85% in the summer (compared to those of 2019).
This will see the Star Alliance carrier serve a total of 112 destinations from its bases at Zürich Airport (ZRH) and Geneva Airport (GVA). SWISS CCO Tamur Goudarzi Pour stated that "our prime priority will continue to be maintaining a stable flight program for our customers throughout the summer season."
What do you make of SWISS having avoided pilot strike action with its new accord? Have you flown with the airline in recent months? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
Sources: Reuters, SWISS, Swissinfo, The Local
Journalist – A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for aviation history, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft even if doing so demands an unorthodox itinerary. A keen amateur photographer, he also recently reached the milestone of flying his 100th sector as a passenger. Based in Norwich, UK.
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