France I - The Strikes

Perhaps it is French laicité , a concept going back to the French revolution, that is behind this regular screwing up of the pre-Christmas period by French unions. December seems to be the month, in which they like to make life miserable for their own countryfolk and terrorise whoever is in power. 

On a more serious note, it must also be the French revolution that explains the mega-aggression, whenever the French go on strikes. Blocking the roads throughout the country is standard. Some years ago, I read that a French historian explained the difference in striking patterns between France, where strike action often precedes negotiations, and other countries, in which strikes will be undertaken when negotiations fail. The French are proud of their revolution and consequently there seems to be more acceptance of violent behaviour to further one’s aims. Guillotine anyone?

The latest strikes have come about to prevent Macron’s government from going ahead with its plans to reform the pension system. I can well understand the frustration of many, who feel that the rich are getting richer, whilst they are facing old-age with not much bread and definitely no cakes.

They are right but preventing a reform in the pension system will not put the burden on the rich. It will simply pass the burden to the next generation: that is, to the children of those who are striking. Is that what the strikers want?

Do you know a Lufthansa pilot? Tell him(her) what you think of him(her).

Just back from a short visit to Armenia and Georgia. There is probably not much one can do to provide 100 per cent protection from Montezuma’s revenge, which I caught in Tbilisi, on the last day of the trip.  I would, however, wish a heavy dose of the same revenge on the Lufthansa pilots, whose union called a strike on the very day we were meant to fly back.

Something must and can be done about the outrageous conduct of Lufthansa pilots; This was their 13^th strike in the last 18 months. These German pilots, terrorise their employer as well as the wide air-travelling population, by calling short strikes with extreme short notice to prevent any planning of alternatives.

This is an abuse of the important right to strike by a bunch of high earning fat cats, and German politicians are doing nothing about it. At a time when Europe is cracking under the burden of an enormous refugee crisis, the best-paid pilots in the whole of Europe want more money.

Do you know a Lufthansa pilot, or someone who knows a Lufthansa pilot? Tell them how despicable they are. (No need to invite the pilot for dinner; let them eat alone. A phone call will do.)

Lufthansa II

Almost three weeks have passed since Lufthansa cancelled my flight from Tel Aviv and I have still not heard from them with their arrangements of reimbursement. Instead I get almost daily marketing emails from them. The latest one suggested that I should “Join the Muppets. Mit Lufthansa.“ Are they crazy?

Some idiot in the PR department of Lufthansa must think that sending invitations to a Muppet lottery game is the way to wipe away the memory of thousands of cancelled flights.

Lufthansa neither emailed nor smsed me to inform me of the cancelled flight. By the time I received a general “we are sorry about the strike and please get in touch with our call centre” email from them, I had already bought a ticket with another airline. Has anyone on the LH board ever tried to get in touch with their call centre?  I don’t mean through their dedicated VIP line. 

Lufthansa I

Fat high earners who strike to get even more money should GO TO HELL. 

That is what I wish the Lufthansa pilots. 

I have much sympathy for those on meagre incomes who strike, even when it inconveniences me, but those self-satisfied cigar smoking Lufthansa pilots (that is how their representatives appeared on German TV) should not get any of their demands.