Iberia proposes creating a new handling company with voluntary resignations for 1,727 workers

It will create a new company 100% owned by IAG

Iberia has proposed the creation of a new company, 100% owned by IAG with a majority of this airline, that brings together all the workers from all the work centers of the Airport Services Directorate, as well as a viability plan that contemplates dismissals incentives and early retirements for 1,727 workers.

All workers who move to the new company will continue under the Iberia agreement and will maintain all conditions and rights without any changes. This includes "lifetime" shielding of the progression and seniority systems.

Specifically, the creation of this new company contemplates the dismissal of 1,727 people until December 31, 2026. This dismissal would be carried out through incentivized dismissals for people under 56 years of age at the time of termination of the contract and early retirement. for those older than that age.

From the moment of termination of the employment contract and until reaching the age of 65, the company would pay in 12 annual payments a supplement that would vary depending on the age at which such a measure was taken on the regulatory salary, that is, on the total of their gross annual receipts.

The airline explains, however, that this would not mean a cut in the workforce, since this process is presented as an offer "always voluntary and always in agreement with the unions" to all workers.

Specifically, they emphasize those more veterans (over 56) who could benefit from early retirement, a very repeated demand by the workforce due to the physical nature of this work. Iberia has accepted this proposal, which comes from the unions, considering that it will make the new company more competitive. The departures will be negotiated with "significantly better" conditions than those of the sector agreement.

8,000 EMPLOYEES IN HANDLING SERVICES

Currently, some 8,000 employees work in Iberia's handling services, of which 4,000 will be affected by subrogations if an agreement is not reached.

However, not all of them would transfer to the new company, if it were established, since some are of mandatory subrogation, that is, they provide services to third parties and will transfer to the new operating companies, although these are "a minority", as confirmed. sources from Iberia to Europa Press.

A NEW BRAND AND NATIONAL EXPANSION

This new company would also have a new brand, it would have a center of excellence for Vocational Handling Training in La Muñoza (next to Barajas) and plans for national and international growth, especially with a view to Europe and Latin America.

The company highlights that it "understands the uncertainty" of workers, but emphasizes that, in order to offer "a future to both licensed and unlicensed airport employees" it is necessary that "everyone remains united in a single company."

"It is the opportunity to forge a solid future and become one of the benchmarks in international handling," they highlight in the statement released this Monday, where they emphasize that "the new company is the vehicle to make the business viable, without detracting from the rights of any worker from Iberia".

The airline has proposed this measure as a solution to the situation arising from Aena's last handling contest, resolved on September 26, in which it lost the license for eight large airports: Bilbao, Málaga, Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Barcelona , Las Palmas and Tenerife South.

This caused a series of conflicts in the company, from a judicial process against the competition to negotiations with the unions to try to find a solution that benefited both the workers and the company.

In this process there have been two strike calls that were finally suspended (on the December and Christmas long weekend) and four days of strike between January 5 and 8 that caused the cancellation of 444 company flights, delays and problems. with luggage transfer.

VERY NARROW MARGINS

The company assures that handling and the thousands of people who are part of the ground assistance services "are important for Iberia." However, he remembers that the margins are narrow and a large volume of business is needed that "can only be achieved in a sustainable manner by providing services to third-party companies", a reason that he has been alleging during the negotiations for not benefiting from autohandling.

The company assures that it has analyzed alternatives "with all determination and assuming its responsibility" with the aim of maintaining business in all airports and finding solutions that guarantee the viability and development of the business of this new company and the future of the workers.

The airline highlights that it has "unquestionably committed to turning adversity into opportunity" and generating new opportunities.