Bad news for Iberia today: After months of threats, unions representing the Spanish flag-carrier's employees have announced that industrial action will take place from February 18 to 22, March 4 to 8 and March 18 to 22, according to the Telegraph.
They are protesting against plans to lay off 4,500 workers, or 23 percent of the company’s total number of employees.
Reuters is reporting that Iberia would press ahead with its previously stated plan to reduce capacity by 15 percent this year, by focusing on profitable routes and reducing its fleet by 25 aircraft, rather than the 10 percent it had put forward in negotiations.
The group will also implement alternative plans to return Iberia to break-even, in terms of operating cash flow, by the second half of this year and restore it to an "acceptable" level of profitability by 2015.
Unions rejected IAG's offer to reduce job cuts at the Spanish airline by 30 percent to 3,147 and lower wage reductions.
Previous industrial action planned by Iberia staff around the Christmas period was called off before they began. Unions representing cabin crew and ground staff had planned a six-day walk-out between December 14 and 21 in protest against job cuts, but called off the action three days beforehand.