Iberia Express Crew Strike and Negotiations Update
The Madrid based cabin crew cooperative program known as TCP was summoned to a strike by the majority union, with a call to pause operations between August 28 and September 6. The action aimed to pressure the company into advancing the second collective bargaining agreement, a stance not supported by the CCOO. It was described as a key moment on the negotiating committee and reflected tensions within the company’s labor relations framework.
The company issued a statement denouncing the move as a total misunderstanding and noted that the escalation followed intensified meetings between Iberia Express and TCP unions as both sides pressed to move negotiations forward on the second collective agreement.
Over 500 employees of the company reportedly joined the call for industrial action. According to USO figures, workers are seeking a salary review aligned with the consumer price index to compensate for years of stagnant wages as TCPs have seen pay freezes for seven consecutive years.
The unions are demanding a 6.5 percent salary increase dating back to 2021, to be extended to all grades, and the equalization of the 24 month seniority bonus across the entire group. They also seek a universal shipping allowance for all TCP categories and inclusion of a sales commission on board for eligible personnel.
In response, CCOO issued a strong statement accusing the USE of trying to derail the negotiation process and alleging that the union intends to hold Iberia Express employees hostage amid broader conflicts with other carriers, including a reference to Ryanair.
Iberia Express, a subsidiary of Iberia, had previously signed an agreement with CCOO while negotiating a separate arrangement to provide an advance payment to crew members. The proposed advance included 1,350 euros for surcharges and 950 euros for TCP members.
Ernesto Iglesias, a USO Air Sector Flight Officer, told Efe in a document presented during a meeting between the unions and Iberia Express on August 10 that the offer would have resulted in a net decrease of around one hundred euros for each group, and that the deal had not been signed.
The text agreed with CCOO also contemplates equalizing the transport premium with that offered to central services for all levels and adds one additional day off per month that was not part of the August 10 document.
The company has stated that it has sought to reach a practical and useful agreement for all TCPs and insisted that USO’s requests have been difficult to accommodate, partly due to broader industry constraints. It highlighted that progress had already been made in salary improvements, inflation-linked benefits, and new higher work levels for TCPs and flight attendants along with reductions in days off and working hours.
Iberia Express called on USO to suspend the strike and to adhere to the agreement reached with CCOO, continuing negotiations on the second crew agreement and focusing on improvements in working and salary conditions for the cabin crew and related staff.