1. Spanish Govt details mandate for Iberia pilots during strike
Kerry Ezard, London (04Jul06, 13:59 GMT, 312 words)
Spain’s Government has ordered Iberia pilots to continue operating all flights between mainland Spain and the Balearic and Canary Islands, as well as daily services to foreign destinations with a flight time of more than 6hr, during the planned seven-day strike later this month.
Under a list of regulations set out by the Spanish public works ministry, pilots must also operate all services scheduled to depart before the beginning of the strike and arrive during the strike period. The industrial action will begin at midnight on 10 July and last until midnight on 16 July.
All intra-island flights between the Balearics and the Canaries, and all services linking mainland cities with the Spanish enclave of Melilla in Morocco, must also continue without interruption during the planned industrial action.
Pilots will also be mandated to operate 50% of domestic services on flights where the journey time on public transport exceeds 5hr, and 25% of services where the journey time on public transport is less than 5hr.
Half of all flights from Spain to foreign destinations with a duration of less than 6hr, as well as all services involving the transportation of mail and perishable goods, must also be maintained throughout the strike.
Spanish pilots union SEPLA describes the measures as “excessive”, but has promised to co-operate.
SEPLA has called the week-long strike to protest Iberia’s involvement in the Barcelona-based low-cost start-up Catair, which is scheduled to launch operations in October with an initial fleet of three leased Airbus A320s.
Union leaders are concerned that the new venture puts Iberia pilots’ jobs at risk, but, despite its decision to cut many of its mainline services from Barcelona El Prat Airport and replace them with routes operated by Catair, Iberia has insisted that its participation in the new carrier “will not in any way affect the level of employment or the conditions” of its pilots.