Iberia Pilots Announce 5 More Days of Strike

Madrid, Feb 1 (Prensa Latina) Spanish Iberia airline pilots, who have staged seven days of strike in just over a month, announced on Tuesday another five days of strike against the creation of a low-cost carrier.

In a communiqué, the pilots, who are members of the Spanish Airline Pilots Union (SEPLA), confirmed their attending the mobilizations called by land workers and cabin crew for February 13, 17, 20, 24 and 29.

The Airline Flight Assistants Union (Stavla), that constitutes majority in the group, will stop work those days while minority land workers unions will go on strike on Mondays and Fridays, and their protest will be made indefinite as of February 13.

Ac cording to SEPLA, those unions and the pilots agree on defending the medium and long-haul flight reform in the countryâ�Ös largest airline, and consider illegal the emergence of the low-cost carrier Iberia Express.

They reiterated that the decision to transfer 40 Iberia aircraft to the new carrier jeopardizes some 5,000 jobs.

They lamented that Iberia refuses to continue negotiating and listen to their proposals which, they say, would mean saving 300 million euros in cost for pilots against the 100 millions in savings announced by the company for the new carrier.

Iberia Express, set to start operating shortly and medium-haul flights as of March 25, is said to count on 13 planes and 500 employees.

It expects to increase its fleet gradually to 16 units by 2013, 28 by 2014 and 40 planes by 2015.

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Modificado el ( miércoles, 01 de febrero de 2012 )