Iberia pilots to strike in December

Story update 08/12/2011 – The dates announced for the Iberia pilots strike are the 18th December and the 29th December 2011. The strike is in protest against the creation of the new low cost airline Iberia Express, dedicated to covering short and medium haul flights. The president of the Iberia pilots’ union (SEPLA-Iberia), Justo Peral said at a press conference that this measure is taken after exhausting negotiations with company management. They claim that the dates chosen are taken to prevent “harm” to travelers over the Christmas holidays, so as not to harm the Spanish tourism.

Story update 07/12/2011 – Iberia are to announce today which days they are to strike during this month of December.

Iberias members of the Spanish Association of Airline Pilots (SEPLA) have confirmed that they will call a strike in December in response to the creation of ‘Iberia Express’. Justo Peral from (SEPLA) has said that at the moment the timing of the strike remains unclear because pilots are awaiting the response of the collective ground and cabin crew (TCP), but regardless of their answer, the pilots will strike anyway. Mr. Peral accused Iberias current management of doing Willie Walshs (CEO of British Airways) ‘dirty work’ and that his aim is to break the agreement that protects Iberias pilots operations in the Madrid airport of Barajas by limiting their growth and becoming Spains ‘low cost’ airline. For this reason, around 400 Iberia pilots have asked the company for their ‘certificate of flight hours’ in order to leave Iberia if it does finally become the ‘low cost’ airline of the British company.