Anger boils over as pilots strike

Lufthansa flights face further disruption

FRANKFURT, Germany -- There were angry confrontations between workers as German airline Lufthansa was hit by a third one-day pilot strike.

Hundreds of flights were grounded during Thursday's strike, which was called by pilots demanding average pay rises of over 30 percent.

They say the rises will compensate for increases in the early 1990s when the airline's finances were stretched.

But ground crews and caterers accused pilots of greed, with angry shouting matches in the departure hall at Frankfurt airport as exhausted would-be passengers looked on.

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"These exaggerated wage demands are endangering our jobs," said Hans-Josef Weilbecher, head of the workers' council for the technical, ground crew and mechanics staff, noting that his union accepted a 3.5 percent increase last month.

Pilots said they were trying to implement the hardball tactics of American unions. Pilots at Comair have been striking for over a month seeking higher pay and Delta pilots won a last-minute agreement after threatening to strike.

"We have learned a lot from our colleagues in the United States," said former pilots' union president Juergen Lachmann. "This approach is something absolutely new for Germany, and everybody's upset."

Turning up the pressure on Lufthansa late in the day, the union had threatened to extend the strike into Friday but union spokesman, Niels Stueben, later said that the union had decided against an extension.

The company said 660 of 1,100 planned flights had been cancelled by late Thursday and the effects of the stoppages would continue into Friday.

Lufthansa claimed fewer flights would be effected than last week -- when 900 of 1,100 scheduled flights were cancelled -- because more pilots were agreeing to fly.

But spokesman Thomas Jachnow said 75,000 passengers were estimated to be affected. Most long-haul flights had been able to take off and cargo flights were not been affected the airline said.

The airline estimates the cost of a one-day stoppage at around 50 million marks ($22.57 million).

Both sides said they would resume negotiations soon, but would not say when or where.

Last week's strike was the first 24-hour stoppage in the airline's history, with a 12-hour strike the week before that.

The Vereinigung Cockpit union has pledged to stage 24-hour walkouts every Thursday until an agreement is reached.

Also on Thursday, Lufthansa announced that it had posted a first-quarter net loss of 94 million euros ($83 million), compared with a 5 million euro net profit ($4.4 million) a year ago.