Iberia and unions sign collective bargaining agreement covering ground staff

Iberia and the UGT and CCOO unions signed (28-Apr-2010) the company's 19th Collective Bargaining Agreement covering ground staff, that applies from 01-Jan-2010 until 31-Dec-2012. Details include:

• Affected staff: The new contract covers approximately 14,750 Iberia employees, or nearly 70% of total staff;
• Position details: The contract calls for the conversion of 519 permanent part time positions into full time jobs with variable shifts, and 454 temporary jobs into part time permanent positions and five temporary jobs into full time permanent jobs;
• Payroll increase: The contract sets a payroll increase of 0.6162% for 2009, to be effected in a single payment; wage freeze and a single unconsolidated payment in 2010; an increase for 2011 tied to the company's EBIT performance in 2010 and an unconsolidated single payment; and for 2012 a 2% increase with a clause for raising it to reach that year's inflation rate in the event that it is greater than 2%;
• Productivity measures: Establishes productivity measures for the Airport Handling Division and the Maintenance and Engineering Division, the creation in the latter of the new position of "maintenance auxiliary", and the partial retirement with substitution contracts of maintenance technicians aged 62 or more. The company also pledged that until 31-Dec-2012 it will not segregate its handling or maintenance divisions;
• British Airways merger: Iberia agreed that in the five years following the date of the merger with British Airways, it will not discriminate among Iberia employees on the basis of their knowledge of English, and that labour relations will continue to be conducted on a national basis;
  Guarantee of employment: The contract includes a guarantee of employment for permanent staff members once Iberia has launched its new Short and Medium haul carrier. [more]