Iberia Express cabin crew will also go on strike for 10 days at the end of August

These work stoppages called by USO come in addition to those carried out by the Ryanair cabin crew and the EasyJet pilots

The USO union has called the cabin crew of the Madrid base of Iberia Express to a ten-day strike that will begin on August 28 and will last until September 6 to unblock the negotiation of the second collective agreement of these workers. The strike of the low-cost subsidiary of Iberia, to which 517 workers are called, adds to the strikes that Ryanair cabin crew and EasyJet pilots are carrying out throughout the month of August.

In this case, USO claims an annual salary review during the term of the agreement to adjust salaries to the increase in prices, since the crew members have had their salaries frozen for seven years. In addition, the consolidation of the salary increase of 6.5% corresponding to 2021 for all levels is demanded; the creation of two salary levels with an 11% and a 4% increase, as well as a bonus of 24 months seniority to all the workers of the group and the homogenisation of the transport bonus and the on-board sales commission in all categories of cabin crew.

The company has shown since December 2021, when the negotiations began, “no interest in improving the working conditions of the group, opposing any union proposal and offering alternatives far from reality,” the union said in a statement on Wednesday.

For its part, Iberia Express has shown its “total incomprehension” before the announcement of a cabin crew strike called by USO and has asked the union to cancel the call and “adhere to the agreement reached with the CC OO union to advance improvements in working conditions and salaries and continue with the negotiation of the collective agreement,” according to company sources.

The low-cost subsidiary of Iberia alleges that, despite the intensification of the meetings, USO “has been increasing its demands until it has not been possible to meet them because they were disproportionate.” Iberia Express has praised the agreement reached with the Workers Commissions (CC OO) with which they have agreed on a single payment for an amount between 950 and 1,350 euros; the creation of two new levels for cabin crew, with salaries that will be at least 5% higher than the previous ones, as well as special conditions to take advantage of reductions in working hours and an additional day off per month.

Source: El Pais