KLOTEN, Switzerland (Reuters) – More than 300 pilots marched on Swiss International Air Lines headquarters near to Zurich airport on Thursday to press their contract demands ahead of a possible walkout next month.
Pilots at Swiss, a unit of Deutsche Lufthansa, have been working without an accord since April after management rejected a tentative deal from initial talks, the Aeropers union has said.
The union has been polling members on strike action, and has said a walkout could take place from Oct. 17.
Swiss management has offered to take the case to an arbitration panel, while pilots have made a counteroffer.
German pilots at flagship carrier Lufthansa agreed this month not to strike until mid-2023 under an initial wage dispute agreement.
Strikes and staff shortages forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights to avoid hours-long queues at major airports in the first summer following COVID lockdowns, with disruptions set to continue deep into the autumn.
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(Reporting by Arnd Wiegmann, writing Michael Shields, editing by Alexandra Hudson)