The Vida union is harshly criticizing Wizz Air boss Jozsef Varadi, because he is said to receive a bonus payment of 100 million pounds, while the employees have had to accept wage cuts over many months.
At the base in Vienna it looked like the flight personnel only received the basic salary for a long period of time. The lion's share of the payment at Wizz Air is made up of flight-dependent components. Aviation Direct reported on the low amounts on the pay slips of the flight attendants stationed in Austria.
“While the employees of Wizz Air have been confronted with high wage cuts in the past few months and have had to tremble for their existence, the CEO of the low-cost airline is paying off a 100 million pound bonus. That is incredibly cynical and a bottomless mess, ”comments Daniel Liebhart, chairman of the aviation department at Vida.
"Unlawful layoffs, disregard of the right to form works councils, union busting and social dumping are part of everyday life there," the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) condemned on Monday the machinations of the airline, which also has a base at Vienna Airport.
Liebhart points out that Wizz Air has flown in high profits for many years and says that it “would knock the bottom out” that “Varadi rewards itself with a bonus of 100 million euros”. “We are in the midst of a pandemic that is leaving many aviation workers with unsafe jobs, health and safety risks including mental health risks, stress and fatigue. The airline would do well to build trust instead of mocking the employees with a bonus payment to the CEO, ”said the unionist.
Daniel Liebhart once again calls for the conclusion of an industry collective agreement, which in his opinion would also include Wizz Air. He also alleges that the Chamber of Commerce would patronize the Hungarian low-cost airline: Since 2018, there have been no CT negotiations for a company collective agreement. “The sparse answer from the Chamber of Commerce since then has been that the company has no interest in a collective agreement. This is a carte blanche from the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber for the continuation of the Wizz Air dumping game, ”said Liebhart.