Lufthansa pilots' union called Tuesday for a new two-day strike in Germany following walkouts earlier in the week in a dispute over pay and pensions.

The Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union urged its members to halt work on Thursday and Friday, after a similar stoppage on Monday and Tuesday led to hundreds of flights being cancelled.

The new action will affect flights operated under the "classic" Lufthansa brand as well as those of its subsidiaries CityLine and Eurowings and flights operated by the freight division Lufthansa Cargo.

This year, a series of strikes has hit the German airline giant, with both pilots and cabin crew walking out.

A demonstration by the UFO union is also planned in Frankfurt on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the airline's centenary celebrations, which German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is attending.

Among the pilots, "the situation remains unchanged; there is absolutely no movement on the employers' side," VC president Andreas Pinheiro said in a press release on Tuesday.

The pilots are calling for better retirement benefits, while Lufthansa argues that it needs to cut costs to manage its debt.

The union is now demanding a "binding mediation procedure" involving a third party in order "to avoid a further escalation."

"For us, this is not about political power struggles or egos, but about sustainable solutions," Andreas Pinheiro said.

Source: AFP