SPAIN: Hundreds of Iberia staff begin an eight-kilometre protest march to mark the first of a five-day strike

Record ID: 341081

  • Title: SPAIN: Hundreds of Iberia staff begin an eight-kilometre protest march to mark the first of a five-day strike
  • Date: 18th February 2013
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (FEBRUARY 18, 2013) (REUTERS) IBERIA STAFF MARCHING POLICE ON MOTORCYCLES ARRIVING VARIOUS OF MARCH IN PROGRESS MOCK AIRPLANE WITH STICKER SHOWING UNION JACK FLAG READING (Spanish) "HATE TOWARDS THE INVADERS" SIGN ON BACK OF DEMONSTRATOR READING "NO TO BRITISH THEFT" MARCH IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) IBERIA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) STAFF MEMBER, LOL
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Business,Employment,Politics,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVA4XUZAGFCGIHKJTGH9W2Q5U0B5
  • Story Text: Workers at loss-making Spanish flag carrier Iberia began an eight-kilometre march from their offices to Madrid's Barajas Airport Terminal 4 on Monday (February 18), as part of a five-day strike which is expected to ground over 1,000 flights and cost 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.
    Many Iberia workers however, say the cuts are unfair and there is contempt towards the company's management which they feel has succumbed to the pressure of their British partners, British Airways.
    "This is a call for help directed at all citizens," said Lola, an IT staff member at Iberia, as she joined Monday's march.
    "This is like the health and education sector, like everything. We have corrupt managers who have put themselves at the direction of the English and they will dismantle this. We will be left with out T4 (Terminal 4), without anything. All of which belongs to all Spaniards. The people that have to leave will have to go with bad conditions and the one's who remain will suffer losses of up to 60 percent of their salaries," she added.
    Elias Gonzales, a maintenance supervisor who has worked at the airline for 27 years, said workers had no choice but to strike.
    "Nobody is exempt from being sacked. There was an initial agreement with the company when the merger with the English was agreed. There is disagreement, so we are forced to strike," he said.
    Iberia, which merged with profitable British Airways in 2011 to form the International Airlines Group, reported a loss of 262 million euros ($349.78 million) in the first nine months of 2012.
    The airline is just one of several companies in Spain, including Vodafone and bailed-out lender Bankia, to lay off workers.
    It is fighting an uphill battle against low-cost operators, a depressed domestic economy and competitors that are in better shape after having already gone through restructuring processes.
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