Lufthansa : agrees to arbitration with cabin crew, averting strikes

Lufthansa has agreed with its cabin crew labour union to enter arbitration over a wage dispute, the German airline and the union said on Tuesday, averting further strikes.

Cabin crew held a strike over pay and pensions for two days last week, resulting in the cancellation of one in five flights, affecting around 180,000 passengers and costing the airline 10-20 million euros ($11-$22 million).

The UFO labour union is obligated to "maintain industrial peace," Lufthansa said in a statement. "Strikes are accordingly excluded for the time being."

Lufthansa said UFO's demands for higher expenses and purser allowances would be discussed.

The parties will hold a joint press conference on Thursday to announce details.

(Reporting by Tom Sims; Editing by Alexander Smith and Mark Potter)