Lufthansa Pilots Reject New Pay Offer

But the union added it has no plans now for further strikes beyond Saturday. The new offer made to pilots on Friday included a 2.4% pay rise in 2016, going up by a further 2% to reach 4.4% in 2017. A one-off payment equivalent to nearly two months’ wages was also on offer.  As part of the offer a thousand new, junior pilots were also to be hired, AP reported. But late Friday, the pilots’ cockpit union (Vereinigung Cockpit) rejected the offer, describing it as an attempt to “sell old wine under a new label,” according to Joerg Handwerg, a member of the union’s management. The latest dispute began on Wednesday and has seen some 2,600 planes grounded, affecting more than 315,000 passengers. Lufthansa said it would cancel a further 137 flights on Saturday - representing some 5% of its schedule. VC has called for an average annual pay increase of 3.7% for the past five years - with the difference to be paid retroactively - for its 5,400 pilots.