Ryanair group’s Lauda closes Stuttgart base as pilots reject wage cut

Vienna (dpa) – Budget carrier Lauda is giving up its German hub in Stuttgart and will terminate the contracts of all employees there after a majority of pilots opposed wage reductions, according to a company document obtained by dpa on Thursday.

The loss-making subsidiary of Irish-based Ryanair plans to close this base after the summer travel season on October 30.

While nearly all co-pilots and flight attendants in Stuttgart had agreed to a new collective labour contract that was drawn up in reaction to the pandemic-related aviation crisis, less than half of the captains gave their approval, the document said.

“Since there are no positions available elsewhere, we will not be able to offer any crew transfers” to other hubs, Lauda’s Vienna-based management said in the paper that was initially made public by Austrian newspaper Der Standard.

A negotiator for the German labour union Verdi, Sven Bergelin, said Lauda would hopefully reconsider and would enter into talks to save jobs.

“Pilots and cabin crews want to be treated fairly and want to continue their work under acceptable standards,” he said in a statement.

While Stuttgart is to be shuttered, a majority of pilots, co-pilots and flight attendants have accepted wage cuts in Lauda’s other German base in Dusseldorf. Those who did not agree face possible lay-offs, according to Verdi.

Ryanair and Lauda’s management had also threatened to lay off all staff in Vienna, but employees there agreed to a new wage deal in early June after Austrian unionists had managed to negotiate better conditions.