The largest reference of the airline holding company IAG , the British British Airways (BA), begins to obtain results from its long and hard negotiations to undertake a staff cut that adapts its structure to the new scenario caused by the effect of the coronavirus pandemic. The adjustment will be less than 28% (12,000 employees) starting, in view of the principle of agreement reached with the Balpa pilots union . Only in this case, forced casualties go from 1,255 to 270 .
IAG has announced this morning before the CNMV that the collective of BA pilots will vote until July 30 on the restructuring proposals, but has not indicated conditions that Balpa qualify as lesser evil. The IAG itself will offer the referendum results on the 31st.
As the three months of contacts have ended, British Airways would go from firing 1,255 of its 4,300 pilots to doing without just 270 personnel. From Balpa it is valued that the pilots have been able to stop the supposed attempt of the company to carry out a hard cut of personnel to later rehire in worse conditions.
In addition to the 270 casualties, a pool of 300 pilots would be created who would remain hibernated with reduced salaries waiting to join the service as the demand for travel increases.
For the rest of the 4,300 commanders and co-pilots, a salary drop of 20% has been negotiated , which would be reduced to 8% over the next two years and would decrease until the recovery of the 2019 salary level in the long term that it has not transpired.
The Balpa union, which has launched the recommendation among its ranks to vote in favor of this restructuring plan , hopes that the application of new voluntary adjustment measures can mitigate the number of forced departures. Its Secretary General, Brian Strutton , has been disappointed that "during our extensive negotiations, British Airways did not accept the full package of mitigations we presented, which would have prevented any job loss and at no cost to BA."
Open conflict with TCP
As IAG celebrates understanding with pilots on British Airways, the battle with the cockpit crew collective (TCPs) is still ongoing. Among the 45,000 airline workers, some 4,000 flight attendants fear for their jobs , in addition to expecting a subsequent drop in wages.
The majority union among this staff, Unite , has an open pulse with the leadership led by Alex Cruz . Among its main arguments is that British should not fire while another IAG reference, such as Iberia , plans to buy Air Europa.
Unite has appeared as the third party affected in the procedure opened by the EU Competition authorities to settle the integration of Air Europa in the airline run by Luis Gallego. The threat of possible strikes among British Airways' TCPs is also in the air as a pressure measure.
