German Airline Pilots' Association Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) and its Italian counterpart Associazione Nazionale Professionale Aviazione Civile (ANPAC) have agreed on closer cooperation and coordination of theirs collective bargaining policies. At their meeting in Rome, VC President Stefan Herth and ANPAC President Riccardo Canestrari welcomed the merger of ITA and the Lufthansa Group while pointing out the need to safeguard the interests of employees on both sides. The heads of the cockpit unions from both countries made it clear that there will be no undercutting competition within the Lufthansa Group.

"We have reacted to the latest developments within the Lufthansa Group by establishing close German-Italian coordination and solidarity," said VC President Stefan Herth. "With our new Group Collective Bargaining Commission we have already established a well-functioning harmonization between the various Lufthansa's German airline companies. We are also in close contact with our colleagues in Switzerland and Austria. The logical consequence of these recent developments is now not only to enter into an informal exchange with our Italian colleagues, but to closely coordinate our activities and work together.

Thinking beyond the Lufthansa Group, we need a legal framework from policymakers for collective agreements that apply throughout Europe. The trade unions will continue to campaign for this in public and in politics."

“For ANPAC the merging between Lufthansa and ITA Airways has been welcomed since the beginning” said Riccardo Canestrari ANPAC President. “Today’s meeting with our colleagues is an important milestone on the path already existing between our Associations at international level. It creates the basis for a permanent exchange and coordination between the professional representatives of ITA airways and Lufthansa to optimise term and working conditions between all the companies inside LH Group .”

The merger of ITA and Lufthansa holds many positive opportunities for workers on both sides. Italian and German aviation have been sharing many overlaps since decades. As a strong joint entity, Lufthansa Group airlines will be able to respond much better to competition from third countries. The unions from both countries will work constructively with all airlines to secure a strong EU aviation sector that will benefit all stakeholders.

VC and ANPAC have recognized that cross-border coordination of trade union work is essential in order to respond to cross-border structures in the airline world. It is important that politicians finally put the employee side on an equal legal footing with their employers. In many cases, national labour law no longer adequately suits the needs of workers in transnational corporations. A European or international framework for collective agreements is therefore needed.