Iberia staff announce strike dates
Staff at Spanish airline Iberia have announced 15 days of strikes in protest against the company’s plans to lay off 4,500 workers, representing 23% of the airline’s workforce.
The industrial action by ground staff and cabin crews will take place from February 18 to 22, March 4 to 8, and March 18 to 22.
Gabriel Mocho, civil aviation secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation blamed former British Airways’ boss Willie Walsh, now chief executive of Iberia and BA parent company IAG, for the breakdown in talks between unions representing the Spanish airline’s staff and management.
"The fingerprints of Willie Walsh are visible in the breakdown in talks that led to this declaration.," he said. "Orders from above have clearly denied Iberia the freedom to achieve a joint negotiated plan with unions to secure a profitable future for the airline."
The unions involved called off a week of strikes in December so that the negotiations could continue, but today Raul Melero of the USO union said weeks of negotiations had ended without agreement.
Mocho added: "Willie Walsh seems to once again be following the same plan. Set the bar impossibly high. Torpedo any agreements that are reached. Create maximum discord. But that plan has been tried before, has been challenged before, and failed before."
IAG has said previously that the job cuts are necessary if the airline is to survive.
The pilots’ union, Sepla, is not among six unions backing the strike
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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