Politics - Airline stike in Germany - LUFTHANSA pilots and EUROWING crews on stike

Since years we see an unsolved problem of wages and pensions at LUFTHANSA and EUROWINGS.

by Earl of Cruise

What the hell has this to do with cruising? You can see it as a symbol for - bargaining is hitting those who serve us.

Airline stike in Germany - LUFTHANSA pilots and EUROWING crews on stike - courtesy ARD Tagesschau

The pilots who fly the planes we board and the crews who serve us do not have any longer the status they once had - god like men flying a plane across continents and seas, and - beautiful stewardesses and stewards caring for us, serving us. Nowadays? Pressed like machines ... or was the name slaves?

The pilots have to be trained, even when flying with the latest of technology a plane see wages at the "low costers" which are good for a laughter. And the service is underpayed and overworked and degraded to "high flying sales agents" for all the extras which once had been included.

Becoming a pilot, you have to pay the education by yourself. When the wages had been higher, they easily could do their pay back. Today the pay back it is like a lifelong burden as the wages declined. And with the continental low cost airlines these wages are 40% less than those of LUFTHANSA f.e.

These guys still have a big pesronsability - for their passengers and those on the ground, we with the planes over our heads. And Stewardesses and stewards have to be phsycologists with crazing passengers, or those with too much booze.

In the cruise industry, which is no longer a business in human shape, we see bargains that make me think, where does the food come from - from the Dow Chem-Ical Farm? Or is it Soilent Green? And filled with the vitamines B A S F, or optimized by Mon Santo ...

The wages are now, after the oil price peak the biggest cost factor for a cruise line. When we had high oil prices the salaries became lower as there was the pressure to save from the oil price. And for the simplicity of the businesses the lines hired agency to look for crew members and "buy" from these, sometimes, outsourced departments, or complet external companies. With that they offer their service and knowledge for the food and beverage catering, as well the hotel department of a cruise ship.

Sometimes you find not the lines XYZ renowned special service any longer, then only the brand name, but that of the service agancy ZXY.

And these agancies cash the cruise companies for their crewing. If a service member is earning US$ 600, 800 or 1,200 the agency is cashing the line up to double of. And wages of US$ 600 to 800 are not that less to be found.

The British readers may remember the scandal with P&O PRICESS CRUISES, where service crew members earned not even GB£ 3 per hour (£3 x 10h x 30d = GB£ 900). This was for UK citizens ... And those from Asia? GB£ 600 per month. All these wages are and have been under the minimum wage, which is guaranteed by the EU law and repective country law.

The crewing agancies don´t pay health insurances, health care on board - but at home?, or do anything for the pensions of their employees they hire out to lines. All personal extras as tooth cleaners, soap, etc. has to be paid by the crew men/women.

For an Asian crew member, e.g. the Phillipines, GB£ 600 is a lot money. Some build houses at home, or save the money to support the family, or send the children to good schools or to universities.

And seeing these wages, I am not wondering why there is not enough crew for the vessels we, the customers, guests, vacationeers, use to sail off "into our cruise of the lifetime".

These agencies avoid too to fall under a strike, as these companies avoid union members and act strict against the creation of a union on board, or amoung their "employees".

But what if the crews start to strike for better working conditions and better wages?

The crews have the same responsibilities as those in the airliners. And within the modern cruise vessels are more than "only" a max of 800 passengers - the eco only version of AIRBUS A 380.

Airline stike in Germany - LUFTHANSA pilots and EUROWING crews on stike - courtesy ARD Tagesschau

One may think: what the hell is going on in Germany?

Only shareholder value and low wages are the wrong way.

The modern Black Gang

Wir feiern, und die Crew?

Europa 2 ms Europa 2 Hapag Lloyd Cruises

mixed nationalities in front of EUROPA 2 - courtesy HAPAG LLOYD CRUISES (original seize)

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