Spanish national airline Iberia strike action: ITF comment

6 February 2013

Iberia strike action: ITF comment

Commenting on today’s announcement of strike dates at Spanish national airline Iberia, Gabriel Mocho, civil aviation secretary of the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) said: “The fingerprints of Willie Walsh (CEO of IAG, the parent group of Iberia and British Airways) are visible in the breakdown in talks that led to this declaration. Orders from above have clearly denied Iberia the freedom to achieve a joint negotiated plan with unions to secure a profitable future for the airline.”

He continued: “That insistence on massive cost cutting and job cuts doomed the talks, leaving the unions no recourse except industrial action – a stance that seems to have widespread support at all levels in Spain.”

He concluded: “Willie Walsh seems to once again be following the same plan. Set the bar impossibly high. Torpedo any agreements that are reached. Create maximum discord. But that plan has been tried before, has been challenged before, and failed before.”

ENDS

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