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Lufthansa cancels 1,200 Friday flights

German flag-carrier Lufthansa said it would cancel two-thirds of its Friday flights after a cabin crew union announced a 24-hour stoppage at six major airports.

Lufthansa cancels 1,200 Friday flights
Photo: DPA

The Independent Flight Attendants’ Organisation (UFO) announced the strike late Wednesday, a day after its members staged eight-hour walkouts at three key German airports in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The strike Friday will hit Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart, said a statement on the union’s website.

Lufthansa spokesman Michael Lamberty told news agency AFP, “We still hope that it’s possible to avoid a strike and return to the negotiating table.

“We are cancelling two-thirds of flights so that our customers can find alternatives. It is important that we inform them early enough.”

He said customers could find information on the company’s website.

UFO in turn said it “strongly regrets having to get to this stage, but negotiations have reached a point where there is no alternative to a strike.”

The latest call for industrial action marks an escalation of an ongoing labour dispute – Tuesday’s action targeted only Frankfurt, Berlin and Munich airports and lasted only eight hours.

That strike forced Lufthansa to cancel over 200 flights at its Frankfurt hub, Europe’s third busiest. There was limited impact on the carrier’s international routes.

It was not immediately clear how international services would be affected by Friday’s stoppage. UFO represents some two-thirds of Lufthansa’s 18,000 cabin crew.

The union is seeking a five-percent pay increase backdated to January after three years of wage freezes. It also opposes the use of temporary cabin crew on Lufthansa flights.

Lufthansa spokesman Klaus Walther earlier said the airline had offered a salary raise of about 3.5 percent as well as an offer to stop fixed-term contracts and halt the use of temporary staff.

The airline already faces headwinds because of rising fuel prices and fierce competition.

A 2009 strike by cabin crew cost Lufthansa tens of millions of euros.

In February this year, Frankfurt airport’s apron control staff – traffic controllers who guide aircraft on the tarmac – walked off the job over demands for higher pay.

AFP/bk

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Bavaria is no doubt a beautiful state with a strong economy, but can be a hard place for non-German speakers to integrate. The Local takes a look at job opportunities in Germany’s southeastern 'Free State.'

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions. 

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds. 

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local. 

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with. 

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