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Air Nostrum pilots have voted decidedly in favor of indefinite strike action amid a pay dispute with the Spanish regional carrier. Pilot's union SEPLA has yet to reveal when the walkout will begin.

Air Nostrum pilots vote for strike

The Spanish Union of Airline Pilots (SEPLA) said that 92.37% of votes were in favor of industrial action as pilots at Air Nostrum continue to seek a pay rise. As reported by Reuters, pilots are asking for a 30% pay rise between 2023 and 2024, demands which have so far been refused.

SEPLA said,

"The Iberia Regional pilots, meeting in assembly this January 30 and 31, have offered overwhelming support to the Spanish Union of Airline Pilots - 92.37% of the votes - to adopt the indefinite strike as a measure to counteract the continuous blockade that technical crew members have been suffering from the company in the face of their legitimate claims."

Air Nostrum 1
Photo: Air Nostrum

At this stage, it isn't clear when exactly the indefinite strike will begin - the regional airline has made clear its willingness to engage in further negotiations with its pilots and will hold talks on February 7th and 8th, so there is the chance a walkout could be avoided.

Pay rise puts airline viability at risk

Air Nostrum has previously maintained that granting such a significant pay rise to pilots would place its viability at risk. In a statement, the regional carrier added that the strike was "unjustified at the current stage of negotiations."

SEPLA said,

"SEPLA regrets that Iberia Regional Air Nostrum has caused this position to be adopted by ignoring any understanding and systematically rejecting the proposals that, for more than seven months, SEPLA has presented to the company, even those that do not have an economic quantification. Iberia Regional cannot continue to operate at the expense of pilots' working conditions."

Air Nostrum is currently in the midst of a merger with Irish airline CityJet after reapplying to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition this week - the merger was approved back in 2019 before the COVID pandemic postponed proceedings, followed by negotiations relaunching in June last year.

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More winter strikes

With the airline set to conduct additional talks with SEPLA next week, it will be keen to avoid a repeat of the costly disruption experienced this winter. The Iberia Regional franchisee saw its pilots conduct a series of eight 24-hour walkouts over the festive period - the strikes, six of which fell in December and two in January, saw Air Nostrum cancel almost 300 flights between December 26th and January 3rd.

SEPLA claims that its pilots were subject to coercion after the recent period of strikes and requests that Air Nostrum does not use the upcoming strike as "an excuse to resume the coercion against the workers."

Do you think Air Nostrum pilots are right to strike again? Do you see the airline finally meeting salary demands? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Reuters