On Thursday, the LCGB trade union and the ALPL (Association Luxembourgeoise des Pilotes de Ligne) held a press conference at which they questioned the future strategic orientation of the cargo operator Cargolux as well as the long-term safeguard of the headquarters being in Luxembourg.
The continuous structural changes within the air cargo sector, along with a catastrophic price dumping, the global increase in freight capacities and the thus resulting overcapacities raise numerous questions. The LCGB and the ALPL are worried about rumours related to a possible reduction of Cargolux airplanes based in Luxembourg as well as the related jobs. Cargolux in Luxembourg currently employs about 400 pilots and more than 800 employees in administration, sales and maintenance. Numerous employees of Cargolux-related companies are further at stake, they fear.
The statement included "As Europe’s largest cargo operator, Cargolux is heavily impacted by the fierce prevailing competition. The massive expansion of other cargo operators onto their homemarket in Luxembourg is a great cause for concern. The lasting struggle in defining a long-term strategic orientation with the entrance and rapid withdrawal of Qatar Airways, the lengthy search for a partner resulting in adding HNCA (in China) as second largest shareholder as well as the dual-hub strategy with Zhengzhou created a high level of uncertainties. The result is a high staff turnover. Management has also known constant changes."
The statement continued "In order to enable Cargolux to continue to operate successfully in the highly competitive air cargo sector, the LCGB and the ALPL, as representatives of the ground staff as well as the pilots, demand a precise statement by the management with regards to the future strategy of the company. The fundamental problem in lacking a long-term strategy can no long negatively impact the employees work conditions. Not even the hastily concluded collective work agreement, that already demanded large concessions by the staff, could not generate enough cost saving. The LCGB and ALPL thus demand, that the Cargolux Management along with their stakeholders, particularly the Luxembourgish government, quickly establish a strategic positioning and safeguarding plan for the company within its competitive market in order to guarantee the survival of Cargolux and the related jobs in Luxembourg."
