I disegree with Wolf, if you consider that life in Spain is 2 to 2,5 times cheaper than in the USA, he should consider wether 240K $ or 300K $ is good enough for them. Besides they are given free accomodation, paid eating at first class restaurants and money for their dressing expenses (hand-made) that in the old times I was told was about 5K$.

Aniway, I think the wouldn't like to die even if they earned half of all that.

Bye

Ignacio,

Pilots are paid on an Internationally competitive basis, generally not on a home nation average wage scale. The rates that pilots from other nations get is generally where the Iberia pilots should fall, and they are below the average at this time.

ElGato

Regarding the pilots, officially the data are the following:

-iberia pilots are the best paid in Europe excepting, Air France's.

-Productivity is among the lowest in Europe.

-They dont' need to be paid acording standards as long as their union totally blocks hiring pilots from anywhere else excepting their "chosen".

- The pilots are trying to protect their privileges, before the company really strats working as the private company is now.

Plus IBERIA owns most of the airport slots in Spain, so in case of a pilot strike all sapnish population is held as hostage (in a lot of routes there is no choice, switching companies is not possible .The influence it has on business in Spain is very deep, not to tell about the devastion it causes on turism (the main industry in the country).

Nevertheless this time it is an "organized strike". Iberia it is one day a week, and "minimal services" are beeing performed by the pilots to perfection, because IBERIA is cancelling the flights not protected by the minimal servcies. In practice, all flights that are not cancelled leave on schedule!!!!.The company is mainly losing money due to

It looks like negotiations have broken off between pilots & management of Iberia. The pilots union (SEPLA) says they are now planning additional strike days beyond those previously announced. It's a shame that in this peak tourist season, the pilots and management seem to have hardened their positions!

The pilots are still behaving like in the times of the old monopoly. But the company is not state owned any longer and they will have to start behaving like professionals in a company that has to compete to survive.

-One of the unacceptable conditons for the pilots, is the fact that the company wants to make salary increases related to company profits, so avoiding situations in which Iberia's balance sheet in in red and pilot salaries are rocketing.

- Nevertheless ,people in SEPLA must realize that when "all" spanish population is against them and favouring every possible of punishment directed to them, is a dangerous game what they are playing.

- Even more, IBERIA doesn't need to exist, the company can be killed by the pilots and our market will be easily colonized by BA, Air France, ....

I totally agree with nativo.

I'm trying to understand the concept you are talking about.

That the people can punish the pilots of Iberia.

In a democracy, the issue is between the company which is owned by stockholders, and the union, which represents the pilots. They have to resolve the issues, and if recourse is needed, it goes through the courts.

The concept that the people have the right to punish them reminds me of the Franco regime, or a new direction that would be towards communism instead of a democracy. I find that a little disturbing.

ElGato

Democracy and capitalism are concepts that go together. And the basis of capitalism is competence.

These pilots not only are a monopolistic syndicate that controls a good (air transport), but also have supported and so, a strong influence in the train drivers Union. They have such strength that have converted the spanish people into their hostages. In competence (market rules), the firm could bring workers from another countries/ companies, ..., but it would take months, may be one year to be able to drive (if different) a new model of airplane or learn itineraries and the way to work with new airports, ...

Besides, and mainly, this would give them time enough to organize astrike like this, that would endanger the survival of the very company itself, as they are doing right now.
They don't need to be flexible, because they are in control, they don't need to negotiate. If they lost their jobs, they could find others in some other country's airlines.

Besides, they are using "huelga de celo", which means that they are introducing as many obstacles as possible to work (suddenly flling ill, ...). It is obviously this behaviour the only that could be punished, and probably will be if it is proved, retiring some licenses.

However, same as when Microsoft buying legally firms became a menace for competence, and had to be divided (we'll see), I think this monopoly has to be weakened in some way through law or competence tribunal sentences, to protect the people.

Ignacio,

Unions are monopolies. Like it or not, that's exactly what they are. The re-dress must be through the courts in a democracy, unless the pilots are linked to the government, which was the case in the U.S. when Reagan had all the air traffic controllers who were on strike replaced.

Even in Reagan's case, the issue ended up in courts to determine whether or not he had the right to do what he did.

As for Microsoft, the re-dress has been in the court, not in the hands of the people. It has nothing to do with whether or not the American public wants Microsoft to be broken up or not.

You mention tribunal sentencing. Can you explain that to me? Is that through the courts or by edict?

You mention competence. I don't understand what that would entail either. From what I've seen in major business throughout the world, the only people that the CEOs answer to are their stockholders and the board of directors. As for everyone else, they are nothing more than tools to make money for the elite. But, that's capitalism at it's best, and worst at the same time.

ElGato

The transformation of state monopolies into quoted companies is a complex enough matter to discuss for ages with another approach. In fact, public opinion is one of the variables on the negotiation.

Sanctions are always decided in court, but in a case on National Emergency with all public oppinion in favour the can be quite neat (Reagan style). In fact this is why the strike is not total. In the last strike they cut of Spain from the outside world (IBERIA had 90% of all in spain flights) at their will, plus inmensely damaging the economics of the country just because they wanted to have the same decision power as the stake holders one the company went public....And it really was kind of emergency the only the failure of a public service can create.

Nevertheless I do not think that easy words such as franquismo or comunism are applicable in today's Spain. Following that line of thought, the power in democracy resides on people, and if a referendum was done on the subject....