Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

JOBS

Cabin crew union forces Lufthansa to talk

Lufthansa and cabin crew union UFO were expected to hold talks on Friday evening to try to find a way to prevent further strikes like the one which forced more than 1,000 flights to be cancelled.

Published: 7 September 2012 16:03 CEST

Cabin crew union forces Lufthansa to talk

Photo: DPA

“It is a bitter day when more than 1,000 flights have to be cancelled,” said Lufthansa spokesman Klaus Walther.

It was obviously only after the initial strikes last week and this Tuesday were taken nationwide on Friday, affecting at least 100,000 people, that UFO managed to force Lufthansa to the negotiating table, the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper reported.

“A meeting of top representatives is planned for today,” said UFO chairman Nicoley Baublies at Friday lunchtime.

Although Lufthansa did not confirm the news, neither was there a denial.

Baublies said Friday evening would see pre-talks to find a way in which constructive dialogue could be entered into, as well as to enable each side to outline what they would not compromise on. He said the union was ready to use the services of a mediator.

“It is like partner therapy – we are damned to come together,” he said on state broadcaster ZDF on Friday morning.

Birgit Weinreich, a member of UFO’s negotiating commission, said the evening meeting would not involve more than about ten people.

Cabin crews will return to work as normal as of midnight on Friday, and no further strikes are planned, said Baublies. “In the next two days it is all about talks,” he said.

Lufthansa could now have a break in which managers could consider their positions, a UFO spokesman said.

Deutsche Bahn on Friday said it had laid on all the trains it had – but that the thousands of would-be Lufthansa passengers transferring to rail would add to what was in any case a busy day. “It will certainly be somewhat friendly in the trains,” said Walther.

Lufthansa competitor Air Berlin flew six additional connections and in 16 cases increased capacity on existing flights by using larger planes on Friday to mop up stranded Lufthansa customers.

DPA/The Local/hc

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

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.

Url copied to clipboard!