The cabin crew strike called by the USO union at Iberia Express between August 28 and September 6 has forced the company to cancel 92 flights, according to a count by the union.
All of them have Madrid airport as their destination or departure, where the airline is based. The connection airports affected are Palma de Mallorca, Gran Canaria, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Malaga and Tenerife North. Some 17,000 passengers would be affected by the strike, according to USO.
As reported on Thursday by the company, during the strike it will offer several options to users, with refunds, bonuses, transportation alternatives or date changes if it is affected. Although the flight is not disrupted, “due to the situation, we give the option of making it more flexible through the bonus or date change options,” it is explained on its website.
With the protest, the workers demand a release in the negotiation of the collective agreement and a salary increase in line with the increase in inflation, “since salaries have been frozen since 2015,” it is stated. “Iberia Express does not come with proposals to the meetings that have been held throughout this week and in which USO has shown its willingness to call off the strike,” criticizes Estefanía Díaz, union delegate at Iberia Express.
For its part, Iberia maintained this Thursday that USO’s requests are “disproportionate” since its demands involve an increase in wage costs of over 26%, “unaffordable by the company.” In addition, he reiterated his “total misunderstanding” with the call.
The minimum services set by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda range from 32% to 85%.
As for domestic flights to or from non-peninsular territories, at the Asturias airport the minimum services must protect 85% of Iberia Express operations on the days of August affected by the strike and 82% on those of September; in Madrid, 81% in August and 79% in September; in Tenerife North 82% in August and 80% in September and in Vigo 72% in August and 69% in September.
For domestic peninsular flights whose travel time on public transport exceeds five hours and international flights, Transport decrees minimum services in Barajas of 56% in August and 55% in September.
Likewise, for peninsular domestic flights whose travel time on public transport is less than five hours, minimum services in Barajas are set at 35% in August and 32% in September.
Below is the list of flights affected per day due to the Iberia Express strike, as provided by USO.
