Alitalia staff rejects rescue plan, despite the fact it was approved by the Unions

Alitalia staff yesterday rejected the approved rescue plan which included a range of radical and necessary measures across the whole of the company to stabilise it and secure its long-term sustainability, despite the fact that there was an agreement with the Unions on the plan.

The ailing airline, owned 49% by Etihad Airways from Abu Dabhi, has been rescued by Italian governments and private investors over the past decades. But it is unsure whether the government and creditors will step in once more.

The rescue plan included cutting 1700 ground staff jobs and cutting flight crew salaries by 8% but two-third of the workers rejected the rescue plan despite it was approved by the Unions.

The approved rescue plan:

• €1 billion cost reductions by 2019
• Revenue to increase 30 per cent by 2019
• Profitability by 2019
• Fleet reduced by 20 narrow-body aircraft
• New competitive proposition for short and medium-haul aircraft fleet

A new Alitalia board meeting will be held today (Tuesday).

In its 70-year history Alitalia has rarely made a profit, and it is still losing €500,000 per day. It is feared that soon Alitalia will no longer be able to afford to pay for fuel or the salaries of 12,000 employees, the airports’ fees, the leasing payments on the airplanes and their other suppliers.

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni: I understand the sacrifices workers have been asked to make, but without the proposed cuts Alitalia will not survive.

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