Airport manager Aena issued a permit Extra time for Iberia to reach agreement with CCOO and UGT unions Regarding the airline’s ground assistance (‘handling’) personnel, after both parties have exhausted the initial time.
Iberia and workers’ representatives had until 16.00 this Thursday.Meanwhile, Aena would begin contacting the airlines receiving the service to find out whether they had chosen the ‘automatic service’ option or whether they had outsourced this service to one of the operators who won a license in the competition decided in September.
The airline’s sources told EFE that the deadline has been extended, although they did not specify the exact amount of additional time they will have. This is a new extension after the airport manager extended the deadline for airlines to communicate their decision from January 12 to midnight last night.
For this reason, A meeting call was made for next January 22 As the USO union stated, this meeting between the negotiating parties, originally scheduled for today, was also called.
In this meeting, Iberia and the unions will try to reach an agreement on the situation of the unlicensed ground handling personnel at the 8 airports that lost the competition.
The airline recommends: Establishment of a new company wholly owned by the IAG groupTo help the group’s aircraft – to which Iberia, Vueling, British Airways, Level and Air Nostrum belong – will include 8,000 employees of Iberia Airport Services, which is currently responsible for handling at the company.
Additionally, Iberia adds: Early retirement and incentive sick leave program from age 56 In order not to reduce the workforce, new recruits will be made to replace 1,727 people.
The company’s plan does not please unions, who want Iberia’s offer to be implemented only at airports affected by the loss of license and not at airports where it continues to provide ground handling services.
CCOO and UGT argue that workers continue in Iberia and therefore under their management. Thus, companies licensed in the Aena competition do not have to go for succession, a clause signed years ago to prevent layoffs, which means that the general agreement of the sector is applied to the workforce.