Those employees, who are dissatisfied with the employment conditions of Lauda Europe, are requested by company boss David O'Brien to submit their notice of resignation and to leave the company. This emerges from a letter sent to the crews at the Vienna base at Aviation Direct.

The background to the letter signed by O'Brien is that some Lauda Europe employees are demanding payment from Laudamotion under the collective agreement. A lawsuit organized by the Chamber of Labor to establish a transfer of business is pending in court. According to the union, a verdict in favor of the employees would mean that the collective agreement Laudamotion would continue to work, Lauda Europe would have to apply it and on top of that would have to make additional payments. However, the Korneuburg Regional Court responsible in the matter has not yet made a decision.

In spring 2020, the management of the Laudamotion at the time wanted one under great public pressure new collective agreement push through. The Vienna base was threatened with closure. You also have them Airbus A320 jets flown out with publicity. Social partners agreed and signed a key issues paper, but it came not for the formal conclusion of a collective agreement, because contact with the company should be broken.

The Laudamotion management asked all employees of the Vienna base to Acceptance of the "new collective agreement" on. Those who did not give their consent or used a wording suggested by the works council received the “blue letter” shortly afterwards in the first wave of dismissals. Just a few days later, Lauda managing director David O'Brien introduced the Maltese Successor Lauda Europe Ltd in front. From September 2020, the latter gradually took over the flight operations of the Austrian Laudamotion, which in October 2020 her last flight performed. In December 2020, the AOC and the operating license were given to Austro Control and the Austrian Ministry of Transport returned.

Lawsuit for transfer of operations pending

Lauda Europe adopted the wage table that Laudamotion employees had to agree to at the beginning of June 2020. No collective agreement applies to the employment relationships. The Korneuburg Regional Court will clarify whether this procedure is correct anyway on the basis of the action brought by the Chamber of Labor. The change of employer to the Maltese company Lauda Europe only affected those people who were directly employed by Laudamotion. Those who are employed by the temporary employment agency Crewlink did not have to give separate consent, as the employer has not changed for them, only they are now leased to Lauda Europe. The employees of the personnel leasing company are currently in short-time working.

The size of the Lauda base in Vienna is to be reduced to a maximum of five aircraft in the summer flight schedule of 2021. The workforce will also become I.taking their annual leave or unpaid leave requested up to and including June 2021. Company boss David O'Brien also wrote to Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and shared his concerns about the minimum prices planned by Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler. In an interview with Aviation Direct, he also explained where how many Lauda planes are to be stationed.

The behavior of individual employees could lead to the closure of the base

According to this circular, signed by David O'Brien, at least three Lauda Europe employees are said to have contacted management in the past few days and requested payment under the old collective agreement. This was rejected by the airline boss, who also runs the sister company Malta Air. He writes that the amount of the salary was agreed in September 2020 when he joined Lauda Europe and that “the collective agreement of another airline does not apply to Lauda Europe”.

He also warns the workforce against similar advances: “The Lauda-Europe-Basis Wien does not receive any short-time work support from the Austrian state. The Ryanair Group provides the financial resources required to pay wages on loan. Further measures in this direction, which are absolutely unfounded and dishonest, could lead to the Lauda A320 base in Vienna becoming uneconomical and being closed by Ryanair ”. Furthermore, O'Brien points out several times that the employment conditions in September 2020 with the contract signatures would have been accepted by all employees. Therefore, he cannot understand the recent excitement.

Finally, O'Brien asks the workforce at the Vienna base to help cut costs and to fly into a good future together and not to sacrifice it for individual interests. “Many of you who have become aware of these dishonest inquiries” have spoken about the reckless behavior of a small number of our colleagues who are now threatening the jobs of all crew members in Vienna. We share your outrage and concern that this behavior is likely to lead to the closure of the A320 Lauda Europe base in Vienna ”.