Workers at Spanish airline Iberia plan a second five-day strike against mass job cuts from Monday, forcing the cancellation of 1,370 flights, the company and unions said.
Iberia ground and flight staff are furious at plans to cut 3,800 jobs and reshuffle services after it merged with British Airways to form the IAG group.
Iberia published a list of some 1,370 cancelled flights by it and three other carriers with whom it shares services — Iberia Express, Air Nostrum and Vueling.
Most of the cancelled flights were to destinations in Spain and Europe.
“The affected passengers have virtually all been assigned to other flights or have had their tickets reimbursed,” an Iberia spokesman told AFP on Friday.
An official from the airline workers’ section of the labour union CCOO, Jose Carrillo, told AFP the strike would resume Monday as mediation talks continued.
IAG said on Thursday it was pushing on with the job cuts however.
It announced an annual net loss of 943 million euros ($1.2 billion) in 2012, citing financial strains at Iberia and a soaring fuel bill.
IAG chief executive Willie Walsh said after the results that Iberia “must adapt to survive”.
“Despite three months of negotiations between Iberia and its trade unions, no agreement was reached on an initial restructuring plan,” he said.
“Therefore, we have announced that Iberia will proceed with a 15-percent cut in capacity and has started the formal collective redundancy process which will affect 3,807 jobs.”
Iberia staff carried out the first of their three five-day strikes last week and plan another from March 18 to 22. A minimum service operates during the strike under Spanish law.
They marked last week’s strike with noisy demonstrations in Madrid’s Barajas airport, wearing pirate outfits and waving banners reading “British Go Home”.
Spain is in a recession that has thrown millions out of work and driven the unemployment rate over 26 percent.
As major airlines fight to compete with low-cost rivals, the Spanish flag-carrier has become one of the latest and most prominent companies to announce job cuts.
Iberia executives say the airline accumulated 850 million euros ($1.1 billion) in losses between 2008 and September 2012.
Workers accuse the management of betraying them and selling off the pride of Spanish aviation to foreign interests.
Fresh Iberia strike cancels 1,370 flights
