2024-01-08 13:52:53
Everything pointed to Iberia He would successfully quell the revolt of his workers. The preventive cancellation of almost 450 flights and the relocation or refund of 90% of the tickets days before the strike of the professionals who are in charge of the ground services (‘handling‘) of the airline, led to expect another mobilization of little effect at Spanish airports. But the warning he gave secretary of UGT in Catalonia, Camil Rosthe first day of strike in the Barcelona-El Prat airport (one of those that was expected to be the most conflictive due to the number of workers it concentrates), has ended up being fulfilled. “Although everything seems calm, the kitchen is not,” warned the union leader after 12 noon. Four days later, on the day that closes the protest, Iberia confesses that a hundred suitcases have not yet reached their destination.
The problem was especially on Sunday, which, at least in Barcelona, concentrated the operation return from christmas holidayshe effect of the strike (both from the day itself, and from what had been accumulated since Friday) and the impact of bad weather, which altered the operations planned for the day. Against this backdrop, the queues seen at the Prat airport reached dimensions that had not been seen “since before the pandemic,” said the unions calling for the mobilization.
This Monday, in the statement that the airline has issued daily, the company admits “problems with hundreds of pieces of luggage” that “have been increasing in the last few hours” in three of the 29 airports in which Iberia provides handling service. ‘both to aircraft managed by IAG (matrix of Iberia, Vueling, British Airways…) like other companies. According to this, the problems have occurred, above all, in Barcelona, Bilbao y Gran Canaria.
The company, which had to transport more than 140,000 pieces of luggage between Friday and Monday, assures that “it will continue working intensely so that the affected suitcases that could not be loaded on the planes reach their destinations and their owners as soon as possible.” “As in the previous days, Luggage will be transported on the first available flights or by road in order to cause the least possible harm to passengers,” he adds.
Threat of more days of strike
Beyond that, the airline points out that the last day of protest has begun with the takeoff of 100% of scheduled flights, 88% punctuality and only 19% of workers on strike. According to the record kept by Iberia, this percentage has been increasing as the days have passed, since first thing on Friday there was talk of a follow-up of 14%.
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In any case, as stated in the Catalan News Agency (ACN), the strike might not end here. The Trade Union Union (USE) has already threatened to call new strikes due to what it considers the company’s “real estate” stance. The employees, according to this union, have been making “salary sacrifices” for years to guarantee the company’s profitability and accuses it of breach the latest labor agreements and the commitment to be the official provider of handling for the Iberia Group at airports.
Also CCOO and UGT focused on the fact that Iberia is going to stop providing these services at several large Spanish airports, after losing the tender in which Aena awarded them. “We have to say very clearly that this is a breach of the workers’ agreement,” representatives of both unions said at Friday’s rally at the Barcelona airport. “Reasonable doubt,” he concluded. Camil Ros– is whether Iberia has lost the contest or wanted to lose it to get rid of jobs.”
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