German pilots union calls Saturday strike at Lufthansa's Discover

BERLIN (Reuters) -German pilots' union VC has called for a five-hour strike at the Lufthansa Group's leisure subsidiary Discover Airlines ahead of the Christmas holidays, it said in a statement on Friday.

All flights of the Airbus 320 and 330 fleet departing from Germany from 8 am to 1 pm (0700-1200 GMT) on Saturday will be affected by the strike, the union said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Discover said that 16 flights were planned during the strike period and the airline would minimize the impact on passengers by rebooking them on other Lufthansa Group flights or on flights outside the strike period.

The spokesperson, who said Discover regretted the strike decision as talks with VC on a deal had been on the home stretch, did not specify how many passengers would be affected.

VC could not say how many pilots would take part.

"Unfortunately, the employer has left us with no choice but to emphasise our serious desire for a first collective agreement" with a strike, said a VC spokesperson, adding that the union was available anytime to resume negotiations.

Discover Airlines, formed in 2021, is the Lufthansa Group's leisure airline focused on flying travellers from Frankfurt and Munich to holiday destinations, according to its website.

(Reporting by Miranda Murray and Rachel More; Editing by Jan Harvey)