MADRID, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Workers at Spanish national airline Iberia are planning strike during December holiday, said Spanish television network RTVE on Tuesday.
"All of the unions are in intense talks to fix dates for action against the plan to dismantle Iberia," a spokesman for Spain's second-biggest union UGT said, referring to the announcement of Iberia's parent company the International Airlines Group (IAG) on November 9 which said it would shed 4,500 jobs, 25 aircraft and several routes.
The company also eyed to impose pay cuts on the 15,500 remaining staff, with pilots to take a reduction of over 47 percent and others between 25-35 percent.
Sources from unions said it is "very possible" that there will be strike to coincide with the busy Christmas and New Year period.
Iberia's Division Chief Executive, Rafael Sanchez-Lozano said the company is willing to negotiate, so long as to guarantee Iberia could make operating profit of 300 million euros by 2015.
However, representatives of the union said it was not the case. "We have tried to talk to the directors to design a plan for viability together and they have refused, saying what we have to negotiate is the plan that is already on the table," said Manuel Atienza from the Union General de Trabajadores.
Iberia aircrew held 12 one-day strikes between December 2011 and March of this year in protest at the launch of the Iberia low-cost airline "Iberia Express," which they claimed was a way of bringing in poorer working conditions through the back door.