SPAIN: Workers of Spanish flag carrier Iberia begin a five-day strike against planned job cuts in the airline

Record ID: 341080

  • Title: SPAIN: Workers of Spanish flag carrier Iberia begin a five-day strike against planned job cuts in the airline
  • Date: 18th February 2013
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (FEBRUARY 18, 2013) (REUTERS) (NIGHTSHOTS) VARIOUS OF IBERIA PLANES PARKED ON TARMAC IBERIA EMPTY CHECK-IN DESKS ELECTRONIC CLOCK SHOWING 0005 (LOCAL) 2305(GMT) SIGN READING "DEPARTURES"/CLOCK VARIOUS OF IBERIA ELECTRONIC BOARD SHOWING CANCELLED FLIGHTS VARIOUS OF IBERIA CUSTOMER SERVICE COUNTER/CUSTOMERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) IBERIA PASSENGER, MIGUEL CORR
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Business,Employment,Politics,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVAAHLHELLFOOC2KWCTJRLM3GC8I
  • Story Text: Workers at the loss-making Spanish flag carrier Iberia began a five-day strike at midnight on Monday (February 18), set to ground over 1,000 flights and costing the airline and struggling national economy millions of euros.
    Staff, including baggage handlers, pilots and air stewards, will hold three five-day strikes in February and March to protest management plans to axe 3,807 jobs and cut salaries at the airline. Iberia lowered its estimated job cuts from the initial 4,500, but unions decided to press ahead with strike action.
    The strike has forced the company to cancel 40 percent of its scheduled flights between Feb. 18 and Feb. 22.
    At 0005 local (2305GMT) most Iberia check-in points at Madrid's Barajas airport looked empty as some passengers turned up at customer service counters in an effort to reschedule their flights.
    "I had chosen an Iberia flight and then I was supposed to make a connection but the first flight failed so I am about to take the second, which is also an Iberia flight but, in order to make it to my destination, I will have to take a different connecting flight," passenger Miguel Corral, who was travelling from Madrid to Rio de Janeiro, told Reuters Television.
    Iberia said on Friday (February 15) that 415 of the 1,060 flights scheduled over the five days would be grounded, though 90 percent of long-distance flights will take off. Domestic flights will be most affected, with almost half cancelled.
    Labour unions are also planning strikes from March 4 to March 8 and from March 18 to March 22.
    Eduardo Garcia, an Iberia worker and member of Spanish union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) said the strike was inevitable.
    "Workers have no other option but to take this radical measure in order to defend our jobs. They are putting on the table a plan that, for the first time in Iberia's history can cut twenty per cent of the company's jobs."
    Sabadell Bolsa analysts said that the 15 days of strike action could cost Iberia between 50 million euros (67.18 million USD) and 100 million euros.
    International Airlines Group, comprising Iberia and a profitable British Airways, has negotiated with workers for months over a restructuring of the Spanish airline, which posted a 262 million euro operating loss in the nine months to Sept. 30, 2012.
    Iberia is just one of several companies in Spain, including Vodafone and bailed-out lender Bankia, to lay off workers.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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