Lufthansa : catering unit staff to hold 24-hour strike on Dec 2 - union

Workers at Lufthansa's catering unit LSG will go on a 24-hour strike on Dec. 2, German union Verdi said on Saturday, adding this would also include staff at the country's largest airport in Frankfurt.

Other locations to be affected by the strike are Munich, Duesseldorf, Cologne, Stuttgart and Berlin, Verdi said, adding that Lufthansa's offer to protect wages ahead of a planned ownership change of the unit was still insufficient.

The strike will begin on Dec. 2 at 0000 CET (Dec. 1, 2300 GMT) and last one full day, Verdi said.

Lufthansa this week said it was in final negotiations on a sale of its LSG catering division's European operations to Switzerland's Gategroup as part of plans to focus on its airline business.

Verdi said it expected the strike to lead to cancellations and delays in Frankfurt and Munich, adding long-haul flights would be particularly impacted.

Lufthansa said it was working on a plan to limit the impact on its customers, adding it had prepared measures to that effect and would inform affected passengers as soon as possible.

"Our top priority is to carry out all as many flights as possible," the company said.

The next round of talks is scheduled for Dec. 4, Verdi said.

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Hugh Lawson)