Lufthansa and German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) have agreed on a framework designed to settle long-running labor disputes through arbitration and mediation, lowering the risk of further pilot strikes. VC said in a letter circulated on Monday that the process will cover Lufthansa's core airline, Lufthansa Cargo, CityLine and Eurowings, while mediation will also address wider issues in the relationship between the carrier and the union. Lufthansa confirmed on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement in principle but did not provide details. The move follows six consecutive days of strikes in April over pilots' pensions and other contract issues, which disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers. Lufthansa has said those walkouts cost the group nearly 200 million euros ($230.74 million) in the first half of the year. VC added that the agreement includes exit clauses for both sides if the process does not achieve its objectives.