Luxembourg Cargo Airlines, Europe's largest cargo carrier, is on strike!
After the union and management failed to reach an agreement on a salary increase, employees of Luxembourg International Cargo Airlines launched a strike on Thursday local time, which will continue indefinitely. According to the latest news, the strike of Luxembourg Cargo, Europe's largest cargo carrier, has entered its second day, and the situation of the freight company continues to deteriorate, with its entire global fleet still grounded.
The strike was initiated on Thursday by the Luxembourg Federation of Christian Trade Unions (LCGB) and the Independent Luxembourg Federation of Trade Unions (OGBL), attracting a large number of employees to participate. It is reported that more than 700 workers gathered outside the company's headquarters on Thursday afternoon. The representative of LCGB emphasized that the workers are determined to strike until a satisfactory solution is found.
On Friday, the entire fleet of 30 cargo planes from Luxembourg Cargo Airlines ceased operations. At present, the situation is deadlocked. This strike is the first in the 50 year history of the freight airline, causing huge losses to the company, with each aircraft losing $25000 per hour.
In the latest news to customers earlier on Friday, Luxembourg Cargo outlined the impact on its flights, many of which have not been confirmed yet, while other aircraft have been confirmed to have grounded. Meanwhile, Friday morning's flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed that there was only one Cargolux aircraft operating in the air (a 747-400 cargo plane flying from Hong Kong to Anchorage).
However, later that day, the tracking website showed that four flights were in operation. There are currently no flights operated by Cargolux Italia aircraft. The airline has a total of 30 Boeing 747 cargo planes.
Paul de Araujo of the LCGB union stated in an interview on Friday that pilots, ground staff, and technicians were actively involved and expressed satisfaction with the ongoing strike. Meanwhile, it was reported that on Friday, the aircraft of Luxembourg Cargo Airlines grounded globally, including Luxembourg City, Baku, Bahrain, Dubai, Hong Kong, Anchorage, Chicago, Houston, and Mexico City.
Luxembourg Cargo Airlines:
Luxembourg Airlines International is a specialized long-distance cargo airline with a history of over 50 years, operating a fleet of 30 Boeing 747 cargo planes. Luxembourg Cargo Airlines is the largest scheduled all cargo airline in Europe, adopting a dual hub strategy. The European and American hub is located at Luxembourg Fender International Airport, and the Asia Pacific hub is located at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport in China. The Boeing 747 is one of the most powerful cargo planes currently in use, with a nose loading capacity sufficient to handle oversized cargo and the ability to transport single pieces of cargo exceeding 40 tons.
An indefinite strike?
At present, neither the management nor the union has publicly stated that any negotiations are imminent. The strike by Cargolux employees of Luxembourg Cargo Airlines is the result of the failure of negotiations on a new collective agreement.
The union announced that the current strike will be indefinite, which has put pressure on the leadership of the Luxembourg based freight company.
At the same time, employees of Luxembourg Cargo Airlines seem to resonate with these requirements. On Thursday, the LCGB union shared the position of the Luxembourg Airlines Pilot Association (ALPL) on this matter. At a press conference, the pilot of the Luxembourg flagship airline expressed "full support" for the "legitimate and legitimate" demands of the freight company's employees. They also pointed out 'significant issues' within Luxembourg Cargo Airlines. Considering this situation, ALPL has decided to convene a committee meeting to determine "necessary strike actions".
The government will not intervene in labor disputes: although only Transport Minister Franois Bausch has chosen to comment on this matter, the recent social conflict at Luxembourg Cargo Airlines has entered the discussion agenda of the government committee. Consistent with previous positions, Bausch reiterated the government's position that it will not be directly involved in ongoing labor disputes. On the contrary, the role of the government is to promote dialogue among relevant parties. Even if the Luxembourg government is a shareholder of the cargo airline, the government will not directly intervene in such matters. But personally, I hope both parties can find a solution together.