N380UA
21st Nov 2001, 10:41
LONDON (CNN) -- Germany's Lufthansa could axe up to 4,000 jobs after talks with its unions failed to reach a cost-savings plan, according to Reuters.
A spokeswoman for the German national carrier told the news agency it planned new cost-cutting measures that could include job cuts.
However, a Lufthansa spokesman in the UK, Peter Middleton, denied these reports to CNN, saying the carrier was in good underlying shape.
Reuters quoted the spokeswoman as saying job cuts would initially affect staff still
in their probationary period but other measures such as putting staff on short time shifts would also be implemented.
"If that isn't enough, then compulsory redundancies will be necessary," she said.
Lufthansa has been in talks with unions since October about how to cut costs.
Talks with one service industry union, Verdi, stalled over the weekend.
A spokesman for pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit said it was meeting managementlater on Tuesday to continue similar discussions.
A spokeswoman for the German national carrier told the news agency it planned new cost-cutting measures that could include job cuts.
However, a Lufthansa spokesman in the UK, Peter Middleton, denied these reports to CNN, saying the carrier was in good underlying shape.
Reuters quoted the spokeswoman as saying job cuts would initially affect staff still
in their probationary period but other measures such as putting staff on short time shifts would also be implemented.
"If that isn't enough, then compulsory redundancies will be necessary," she said.
Lufthansa has been in talks with unions since October about how to cut costs.
Talks with one service industry union, Verdi, stalled over the weekend.
A spokesman for pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit said it was meeting managementlater on Tuesday to continue similar discussions.