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Due to a four-day strike by its ground service employees, which is scheduled to start on Friday on the eve of Epiphany, a significant national holiday, the Spanish airline Iberia has canceled almost 400 flights.
More than 45,000 passengers will be impacted by the flight cancellations, which also affect Iberia Express, the airline’s low-cost carrier, and Air Nostrum, its regional airline. Iberia released a statement following the unsuccessful conclusion of negotiations with Spain’s UGT and CCOO unions late on Wednesday.
Juan Cierco, corporate director of Iberia, stated that thousands of travelers would experience “very significant” disruptions as a result of the strike, and he cautioned that even if it were called off at the last minute, there would be no way to reschedule the flights.
On January 6, the day of Epiphany, when Christians commemorate the visit of the three kings to the infant Jesus, Christmas gifts are customarily presented in Spain. The evening before, vibrant parades are held throughout the nation.
Known by many as Three Kings’ Day, it is a holiday on which many Spaniards travel to be with their family.
Baggage handlers and other ground service employees of Iberia are protesting the contracts that new suppliers and the state-run airport operator Aena inked.
Unions worry that working conditions for Iberia employees may get worse despite the new suppliers’ pledge to keep them on.
