Give your interests
a voice.

In the Lufthansa environment, this is not an abstract topic. When it comes to duty and shift planning, the working time committee is a very concrete body. It deals with shift models, planning logic and changes to working time rules. This is not just about general principles, but about very practical questions: when people work, how predictable their free time is, how workload is distributed and whether rules actually work in daily operations.

A works council becomes especially important whenever working conditions change. This can include reorganisations, the introduction of new IT systems, relocation of tasks, new steering models or rules for mobile working. The works council ensures that such changes are not decided unilaterally, but that employees’ interests are taken into account.

Not every topic is handled at the same level. The local works council is responsible for many matters within the site. If topics affect Deutsche Lufthansa AG across Germany, the central works council (Gesamtbetriebsrat) is responsible. If multiple group companies are involved – for example DLH AG together with LSY or LHT – responsibility shifts to the group works council (Konzernbetriebsrat). This distinction is important because co-determination is structured across different levels in the group.

The works council represents employees of the ground staff. Flight crews are legally organised differently and are represented by their own bodies (staff councils / “Personalvertretung”). Within ground staff, the works council represents all employees, regardless of whether they are covered by collective agreements or are employed on an out-of-tariff (AT) basis. This is particularly important for AT employees, as many topics – such as working time, workload, transfers or structural changes – also affect them directly.

A common misconception is that the works council is “provided by a union” or that both are the same. This is not correct. The works council is elected by all employees within the company and operates on the basis of the Works Constitution Act. It represents employees’ interests within the company. Trade unions, on the other hand, are external organisations. They negotiate collective agreements and represent broader and political interests beyond individual companies. Both can cooperate, but their roles are different: the works council operates within the company, the union operates beyond the company.

Works council work is not only about meetings and committees. It also means advising colleagues, helping to classify situations and being a point of contact. This can relate to grading, personnel measures, working time, workload in teams or changes in responsibilities. Good works council work is therefore not only formally correct, but also close to the real issues employees face.