The cabin union Independent Flight Attendant Organization (UFO) has criticized the Lufthansa Group's decision to relocate Eurowings Europe to Malta.
"We suspect that the group is trying to copy Ryanair's tax avoidance strategies. Actually, one would think that after being rescued by the state crisis package, the Lufthansa Group should show that it stands for fair competition and working conditions," says Anja Bronstert, UFO Deputy Chairwoman. The employer Eurowings Europe informed the employees in an internal letter that this move to relocate operations abroad was only to avoid double taxation and had no impact on working conditions. "For the employees of Eurowings Europe in Germany, who have been confronted with closure plans for more than two years, such news is a slap in the face," Bronstert continued.
Last week, an internal company circular stated that the employees would be allowed to continue working at the current location in Munich until the end of the summer flight schedule. However, the further perspective was left open. “There are many indications that the company will be shut down. The employees fear that they will have to give their all again in the highly productive summer and then have to leave,” explains UFO tariff officer Maximilian Kampka. Eurowings Europe is a 100 percent subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and initially benefited primarily from the lack of tariffs.
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