Pilots step up pressure on SWISS

SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger expressed understanding for pilots' concerns. Keystone-SDA

In the dispute over a new collective agreement, pilots of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) are stepping up the pressure on the airline. More than 1,000 members of the Aeropers pilots’ union have signed an open letter to the management.

Negotiations on a new collective agreement for cockpit crew have been underway since April, Aeropers said on Friday. Among other things, the union is calling for greater predictability regarding time off, a reduced workload and remuneration in line with market rates.

“The signatures demonstrate solidarity within the workforce and, at the same time, signal the urgent need for action,” Aeropers spokesperson Thomas Steffen said in a statement.

In an internal letter to the pilots, SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger expressed understanding for their concerns. “We are aware of your issues. And many of them are ours too,” reads the letter, which has been seen by the AWP news agency.

SWISS has been working with Aeropers on new working models for some time now and has been negotiating intensively on the issues mentioned for around half a year, Fehlinger said, adding that the aim remains a jointly negotiated collective agreement that brings tangible improvements for the pilots whilst also working for the airline in the long term.

Fehlinger also refers to economic pressures and cost trends. Any new collective agreement must take into account both the pilots’ needs and SWISS’s long-term competitiveness, he said. At the same time, the CEO is pressing for progress: “We are running out of time.”

Aeropers had previously stated that the high workload and lack of predictability were taking their toll on pilots. The association also highlighted a shortage of pilots, as well as flights being outsourced to wet-lease partners or cancelled.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.