Iberia pilots continue strike in Spain

Spanish national airline Iberia on Monday cancelled 121 flights as a result of strike action called by the pilots' union SEPLA. The pilots are accompanied by cabin crew and groundstaff, who below to the CTA and CNT unions. The strikes are part of a long-running dispute, which saw pilots strike for two days in December and a further three days in January to show their opposition to Iberia's plans to launch a low cost airline 'Iberia Express' to take over the short and medium haul routes. Iberia Express is due to start operating in the spring. This protest has now been joined by cabin crews and further strikes are planned for Feb. 13, 17, 20, 24 and 29. Iberia is operating 63 percent of its scheduled flights on Monday, with minimum services guaranteeing 100 percent services between the Spanish mainland and the Canary and Balearic islands and 50 percent of internal flights between cities over 300 km apart. Talks between pilots and Iberia are currently frozen as Iberia flatly refuses to negotiate over the creation of Iberia Express, which pilots insists will adversely affect their working conditions. Talks, have however, been proposed for this coming Thursday. The strikes are further problems for Spanish passengers given that the disappearance of Spanair, which flew a large number of short and medium haul routes, due to financial problems last month has severely reduced the options of travellers.