Iberia workers considering a strike on Mondays and Fridays

13th Jan 2012 11:47

It is a new year but pilots continue to wage war on Spanish airline Iberia. Spanish daily Cinco Dias reports today that labour syndicate unions representing 20,000 cabin crew and ground workers want to propose a strike for every Monday and Friday as of February 3 in order to demand greater job guarantees until at least 2015 following the creation of low cost airline Iberia Express.The new strike proposal follows failed negotiations between employees and management. In exchange for extended guarantees, the company requested moderated salaries, something workers were not pleased about.Iberia chief executive officer and IAG board member Rafael Sanchez Lozano said during Thursday's "Spain Investor's Day" that the impact of the December strikes were minimal to the airline's financial results.According to Lozano, the strikes over the creation of Iberia Express do not change anything. He told the press that the low cost airline was not negotiable. IAG president Antonio Vazquez went on to say that the creation of Iberia Express was going according to schedule and is expected to begin operating on March 25. The low cost airline is expected to get 120 pilots and 500 employees in 2012.Vazquez concluded that management is willing to sit down but would discuss other matters as well.SB/MD