BERLIN, Germany: A German union said this week that pilots in Germany working for Lufthansa have voted in favor of a possible strike action, calling the vote an "unmistakable signal" to the company, in the midst of a pay dispute.

However, the Vereinigung Cockpit union said walkouts can still be avoided If the company meets its demands for a 5.5 percent pay increase this year and an automatic adjustment for inflation starting next year.

Lufthansa has yet to make an offer after six rounds of talks, it added, noting that 97.6 percent of pilots who took part in a ballot approved the strike call.

The vote "does not yet necessarily lead to strike measures, but it is an unmistakable signal to Lufthansa to take the cockpit staff's needs seriously," the union said in a statement.

Lufthansa ground staff in Germany also took part in a one-day strike this week, leading to the cancellation of over 1,000 flights.