Justified or not?
I disapprove some of my LH colleagues' snotty attitude, whining about their tough working conditions, covering different time zones and climates, working at night etc..
But they are right.
It only takes one high profile mishap which can be attributed to bad decision making, flawed maintenance or whatever and the jobs of an entire company are in danger. So, in principle I do support their fight against deteriorating working conditions of the industry as a whole because: everybody's watching this fight.
And why on earth should LH pilots pay for their managements flawed decisions in the past? I don't see why they should.
Maintaining airplanes is expensive, training good people is expensive. Cutting cost and cutting corners cannot be the universal solution.
The question should be: where is a viable concept? How does LH intend to deal with the LCCs in Europe and the competition on the long haul in the ME or in Turkey, for example? I cannot see one and that's why I as a passenger am asking myself: what do I get for paying extra flying with LH (or 4U)?
The question is also a strategic one and has to do with what sort of airline industry Europe wants and what it is ready to pay for that. As long as there is no clear concept nor unified efforts, LH is fighting an uphill battle that they cannot win.
Also true: if the LH pilots really cared about the future of their employer, they should join the forces with their colleagues in the cabin and on the ground. Because: they are already paying the price for a downsizing of salaries.
Good luck though!