Iberia workers start second strike | Buying Business Travel

Around 1,300 flights have been cancelled this week by Iberia as workers stage the second of three five-day strikes.

Cabin crew and ground workers started their second walkout today (March 4) which will run until the end of Friday (March 8).

The staff are protesting about moves by the airline to cut 3,800 jobs and reduce the airline?s fleet and capacity. Iberia?s parent company IAG, which also owns British Airways, last week reported a pre-tax loss of ?997 million for 2012 ? mainly due to Iberia?s poor performance.

For full details of the Iberia flights which have been cancelled this week, click here.

The walkout has also forced fellow Spanish carrier Vueling to cancel flights because it uses Iberia ground staff for its services. For details, click here.

The workers held their first five-day stoppage from February 18-22 with a third strike due to be staged on March 18-22.

Despite the industrial action, IAG?s chief executive Willie Walsh vowed again last week to continue with the restructuring of Iberia to turn it into a profitable airline.

Some British Airways staff, who are members of the union Unite, will also be showing their support for Iberia?s workers this week with a planned demonstration outside IAG?s head office at Heathrow on Wednesday (March 6).

Unite, which represents cabin crew at BA, was involved in its own drawn-out industrial dispute with the airline for more than two years before agreement was finally reached between the two sides in June 2011.

Len McLuskey, Unite?s general secretary, said: ?If Willie Walsh thinks British Airways staff will keep quiet while he attacks their colleagues in Iberia he is wrong. We all support those threatened by Walsh?s reckless plans. The message from Britain to IAG is clear: We are all Iberia.?

Source: http://buyingbusinesstravel.com/news/0420411-iberia-workers-start-second-strike

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