BERLIN (Reuters) - German services union Verdi on Thursday said Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) had walked away from negotiations over a package to cut staff costs after the German flag carrier received a 9 billion euro ($10 billion) government bailout to secure its future.
“The refusal is a slap in the face of the employees,” Verdi deputy chairwoman Christine Behle said in a statement, adding that Lufthansa was demanding income cuts without giving guarantees for jobs security.
The union, which is negotiating on behalf of 35,000 employees, said Lufthansa was demanding unreasonable pay cuts of up to 23% of employees’ pre-tax salaries.
Lufthansa was not immediately available for comment.
