In what is becoming a broken record of sorts, the union representing Lufthansa’s pilots has once again announced that strikes are imminent. They suggested that they would provide advanced warning ahead of any walkouts.
The latest threat comes on the heels of a Lufthansa proposal that was rejected by the union. At the heart of the union’s whining is the fact that they are demanding pilots become eligible to receive retirement benefits as soon as age 55. Lufthansa on the other hand is requesting that pilots wait until age 60 before being able to tap full retirement benefits.
In my opinion Lufthansa’s position seems reasonable. Most reasonable people will agree that 60 is a suitable target for a retirement age. As a matter of fact, if you asked most people today, they would love the idea of retiring at age 60 but many cannot afford to do so thanks to our wonderful economy over the last several years that had gutted many retirement dreams.
I suspect that the union will lose their argument in a court of public opinion as most reasonable people understand that retirement at 55 should not be a right. However it appears that unions don’t care what the public thinks of them when they uproot travel plans and create a myriad of inconveniences for the very same people that they may represent.
But I digress….Can you figure out whose side I’m on? 😉
