Lufthansa Cargo has taken an unusual step in getting agreement from about 2,600 ground staff employed by Lufthansa Cargo in Germany to go on short-time working from 1 March 2009. A company agreement to this effect was signed on Thursday in Frankfurt by the Lufthansa Cargo Executive Board and the Works Council. The envisaged measures will enable the company to adapt its staffing capacities flexibly to accommodate declining demand in the air cargo business, Lufthansa Cargo said. Under the terms of the agreement, working hours for all ground staff (including non-pay-scale employees) will be reduced by 20 per cent. Lufthansa guarantees to pay staff on short-time working 90 per cent of their last net pay.