The biggest labour union for cockpit staff at Swissair, Aeropers, has warned the airline's owner, SAirGroup, that it will not accept a cut in wages for its members.

The warning on Tuesday, from Aeropers president Marcus Joehl, came a day after SAirGroup chairman, Eric Honegger, said the company was considering opening Swissair up to partners or link it with a global alliance such as OneWorld.

Joehl said in an article to be published in the union's magazine next month that he remembered the clash between management and pilots at Swissair affiliate, Crossair, whose founder and chairman Moritz Suter was appointed last week to head all SAirGroup airline activities.

He said he had communicated to Suter the message that the wage pressure put on Crossair pilots was "not part of the Swissair culture."

In the same article, Joehl welcomed the SAirGroup board's decision to boost the quality of the Swissair brand.

"We will see to it that this quality standard will not be reduced or sacrificed for cheaper solutions," he said.

swissinfo with agencies

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative