Spanish low-cost carrier Iberia Express reported that 96% of its flights scheduled for today, Wednesday August 31th, will operate without changes, despite the fourth day of strike by cabin crew members of the company called by the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO).
According to the company, all customers affected by the preventive cancellations today have already been relocated to other flights or alternative means of transport.
Iberia Express expects to operate a total of 99 flights during the day. The figure represents the completion of 96% of the initially scheduled services and the preventive cancellation of four flights, between Madrid-Barajas and the airports of Gran Canaria and Palma de Mallorca. According to the company, the measure altered the travel plans of around 500 passengers, who have already received a solution.
On the other hand, the company stressed that the 94 flights scheduled yesterday, August 30th, were completed «without incidents related to the strike». Some 13.900 passengers used the services during the day, which closed with a 90.4% punctuality rate.
In response to the situation, the company enabled flexibilisation options for all its flights. Whether they are protected by Minimum Services or not, passengers will be granted the possibility of obtaining vouchers or managing date changes. In the first case, scheduled flights will operate normally.
The company has made available a portal to consult the list of non-protected flights. In this case, passengers will also be able to be re-routed or opt for alternatives means of transport or full refunds.
The planned strike days
Last Sunday saw the start of the first of ten days of cabin crew strike action called by the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO). The measure followed the deadlock in the negotiation of the II Collective Agreement between the union and the airline. The workers are demanding the salaries to be updated to the consumer price index of 2021. In other words, an improvement of 6.5% for all levels.
They are also asking for the creation of two salary levels, with an 11% and 4% increase. In addition, they claim a 24-month seniority bonus and the homogenisation of the transport aggregate and the onboard sales commission in all categories.
In a statement, Iberia Express said: «We maintain our willingness to dialogue to find a negotiated solution and we ask the USO union, which called these strikes, to call off the strike and return to the path of dialogue and not social confrontation».
On the other hand, the company maintains that it has shown «predisposition to consider the proposals within the negotiating table and in the II Collective Agreement as a whole, as long as there is a firm commitment to constructive negotiation». «We believe that it is necessary to sit down at the negotiating table and reach an agreement that satisfies the parties, without seriously jeopardising the raison d’être of the company and the future of all of us in it», they concluded.
In the last meeting between the parties, held yesterday, no agreement was reached. The union said the company maintains a «hermetic» and «blocking» stance. In addition, they said that Iberia Express «has not considered reconsidering the proposed agreement, preferring to continue the conflict rather than give in to the demands of the collective».
A total of 517 Madrid-based employees were called to ten days of continuous strike action between August 28th and September 6th.
See also: Iberia Express to increase flights between Madrid and Seville
