BERLIN 

Pilots at German flag carrier Lufthansa will stage a 48-hour strike beginning Thursday after negotiations with management about pensions and working conditions failed to produce an agreement, the union said Tuesday.

Germany’s pilots’ union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), said talks to improve retirement benefits and employment conditions for Lufthansa pilots had broken down, prompting the demand for industrial action.

The strike is scheduled to begin at 12.01 local time March 12 (2301GMT March 11) and end at 11.59 March 13, according to the union. Pilots working for Lufthansa Cargo and the airline’s regional subsidiary CityLine are expected to participate.

VC said several routes would be exempt from the strike due to geopolitical tensions and humanitarian considerations. Flights to Egypt, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will continue to operate.

VC President Andreas Pinheiro said the union wanted to avoid escalating tensions but accused Lufthansa of failing to present a concrete proposal.

“It doesn’t help if the other side only signals a willingness to talk but doesn’t want to discuss substantial improvements to the company pension scheme,” said Pinheiro.

Arne Karstens, spokesperson for the union’s collective bargaining committee, said seven rounds of negotiations and mediation attempts had failed, and that talks would not resume until Lufthansa presents a “negotiable offer.”

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr has argued that pilots’ priorities center more on career opportunities than pension issues. The union, however, accuses the airline of using newly created subsidiaries such as City Airlines and Discover to pressure existing employees by offering less favorable working conditions.

A previous 24-hour strike on Feb. 12 forced the cancellation of more than 800 flights, disrupting travel for 100,000 passengers.

The 48-hour strike is expected to cause broader disruptions, particularly for flights departing Germany.

- What pilots are demanding

Vereinigung Cockpit is seeking higher employer contributions to Lufthansa’s corporate pension plan for 5,000 pilots. The union argues that inflation and the company’s cost-cutting programs have weakened pilots’ retirement security.

The union also opposes Lufthansa’s strategy of shifting operations to lower-cost subsidiaries such as City Airlines and Discover, warning that 800 positions at CityLine could be at risk under the company’s restructuring plans.

*Writing by Mucahithan Avcioglu in Istanbul