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The radical decision to cut 4.500 jobs at Iberia as a part of a larger restructuring plan might offer a short-term chance to make quick profits at IAG, owner of Iberia and British Airways, but it also sends a clear message about the lack of commitment of IAG to being a socially responsible operator.

Concerned with the announcement of job losses and cuts to Iberia’s fleet, the European Cockpit Association, representing more than 38,000 pilots across Europe, has offered full support to Iberia pilots and cabin crew.

“Our Spanish colleagues have lived through very insecure times for too many months already”, said Nico Voorbach, ECA President. “Looking at this conflict from the outside, it is striking to see how little consideration this company seems to have for its employees. We call on IAG to stop this confrontational attitude towards its pilots, and to comply with its commitments to staff and to its constituent companies from the BA-Iberia merger. Spanish and British employee groups should be given equal and fair treatment. This merger was proclaimed as giving synergies and new opportunities to both Iberia and BA, and yet IAG chooses to focus on drastic restructuring at Iberia instead of extending those benefits to it.”

“Dismissing pilots and immediately replacing their services with a new operator, owned by their ultimate employer, is not what we expect from any airline, let alone IAG, which claims to be a socially responsible company”, stated Philip von Schöppenthau, ECA Secretary-General. “It is only with its staff’s support and goodwill that a customer focused business like IAG can prosper.”

ECA acknowledges the business of IAG is built largely thanks to and in partnership with its dedicated and professional employees. Abandoning this partnership and its underlying values is a short-sighted decision which IAG needs to rethink. IAG must commit to work with its entire staff to find sustainable long-term solutions and a balanced development of its Spanish and British hubs.

 

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For further information, please contact:

Kameliya Encheva, Communications Officer, Tel: +32 2 705 32 93

 

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