Cargolux pilots agree pay deal after a year’s wrangling
CARGOLUX pilots and ground staff have finally secured a package of salary increases over a four-year term.
The deal, which consists of a four per cent increase for pilots and six per cent for the airline’s ground staff, will result in substantial improvements for the more than 1.300 employees, aircargoeye.comcan exclusively reveal.
The news comes after 12 months of intense negotiations between the unions LCGB and OGBL and the Luxembourg all-cargo airline’s management team to agree two new collective work agreements (CWAs).
One covers the period between 1 December 2018 and 31 December 2019, the second becomes effective as of 1 January 2020 until 31 December 2022.
Staff hired since January 2016 will benefit significantly from additional adjustments of salaries, days-off and holiday entitlements, bringing all staff to similar levels.
“These adjustments became necessary after the employees’ concessions made in the previous collective work agreement. These resulted in the implementation of spool-up periods for 13th month, off- and holiday-days and additionally added lower salary grades for newly-hired staff,” explains Dirk Becker, executive secretary of the Association Luxembourgeoise des Pilotes de Ligne (ALPL).
“Further to this significant adjustment of the remuneration, additional improvements have been agreed, which include a clear commitment from management to prevent outsourcing of jobs,” Becker observes.
‘For the more than 500 pilots the new agreement will guarantee a significant reduction of duty periods during the most critical times of the day’
For the 850 ground staff employees, the additional improvements include the extension of the salary scale from 31 to 40 time units and an increase of special premiums for maintenance staff.
“For the more than 500 pilots the new agreement will guarantee a significant reduction of duty periods during the most critical times of the day. This is done by augmenting the standard two-man crew with either a third or fourth pilot during long night duties. Fatigue and potential health issues will be addressed. Other improvements include an adjustment of the pilots’ off-day scheme which should enhance off-day stability,” Becker asserts.
In recent times, Cargolux has struggled to attract pilots who are highly qualified, well-trained, and also have the experience for the demanding job of flying B747 freighters to long-haul operations.
The carrier even resorted to holding recruitment roadshows to tackle its flight-deck staff shortage.
Cargolux pilots were regularly flying 16/17 hours
Exhausting hours of duty, with pilots regularly flying 16/17 hours or even up to the maximum legal limit of 18 — is one of the primary reasons why Cargolux has struggled to recruit new employees.
Frequent, last-minute changes to flight crew rosters, which can sometimes result in delays of up to several days, means returning late to home base which in turn interferes with a pilot’s private life, Becker has stated in the past.
Commenting on the new CWAs, Richard Forson, president and chief executive of Cargolux, declares: “I am pleased that we have managed to reach an agreement with our social partners. This agreement cements job security within our company while contributing to Cargolux’s sustainability on both social and economic fronts. Building on this solid foundation, we can strengthen our position as a leading player in the global airfreight industry.”
Paul de Araujo, LCGB Union secretary, states: “The improvements in the new agreement became necessary after the employees’ concessions made in the previous collective labour agreement. The new agreement addresses the main concerns of our members: a salary increase, improved work-life balance for employees and the pilots’ flight-time limitations.
“The elimination of what has often been referred to as ‘B-Scale’ should make it possible for Cargolux to hire the staff it needs,” de Araujo asserts.
“We are happy that the social partners could negotiate a substantial salary increase and measures improving the work-life balance of Cargolux employees. This is a very important recognition of the employees’ efforts during the last years and their contribution to the good financial results of the company for all Cargolux employees, ground staff and pilots,” adds Michelle Cloos, OGBL central secretary.
This story first appeared on aircargoeye.com
