Swiss Pilots Threaten Strike

Aeropers, Swiss International Air Lines' pilots union, has threatened to strike if Swiss begins lay-offs or route shifts. Swiss is controlled by Germany's Lufthansa, Aeropers, one of two major pilots' unions at Swiss, said contract negotiations ended without conclusion on Friday, so members were continuing to work without contracts for the present. Any strike would involve approximately 700 Zurich-based pilots working on 20 long-haul and 20 short-haul routes, the union's spokesman Beat Schneider said, noting that Swiss begins to lay off pilots or shut down routes leading through Zurich, the union would call a strike. Swiss spokesman Jean-Claude Donzel said the strike threat was a surprise and that the airline was doing all possible to conclude a new labor pact.