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Berlin • A union representing pilots at Germany's Lufthansa says talks aimed at resolving a dispute over early retirement benefits have broken down and is threatening further strikes.
In France, meanwhile, pilots' unions and Air France are in talks aimed at ending an 11-day strike over cost-cutting measures.
The walkout has grounded more than half of the airline's flights, stranding passengers worldwide.
Air France offered Wednesday night to scrap a central part of a plan to shift most of its European operations to low-cost carrier Transavia.
That plan prompted the strike, because pilots see it as a way to outsource their jobs to countries with lower taxes and labor costs. Air France wants to restructure to stay competitive with budget airlines and growing Gulf carriers.
Guillaume Schmid of pilots' union SNPL said the unions responded with a counter-offer that was rejected in overnight talks with airline management, then submitted another counter-offer that is being discussed in negotiations Thursday.
Back in Germany, the Vereinigung Cockpit union staged three strikes, each of which lasted several hours, in recent weeks against Lufthansa and its Germanwings subsidiary. However, it called off another strike planned for Sept. 16 after receiving a new offer from the airline.
The union said Thursday it "regrets that the negotiations have failed again." It said more walkouts can be expected though no dates were given.
The two sides are at odds over the pilots' demand that Lufthansa keep a transition payment for those wanting early retirement.
The airline, which faces tough competition from European budget airlines and major Gulf carriers, wants to cut those payments.