Alitalia check-in at Rome’s Fiumicino/Leonardo da Vinci Photo: SpecExpert / Wikimedia
Alitalia pilots will strike for 24 hours from Thursday midnight, causing disruptions at flights serving nearly all of Italy’s airports except Venice and Bolognia, according to TheLocal.it
Anpac, the union that has called the strike, says it is about Alitalia’s refusal to sign an agreement maintaining staffing levels, and threatening the jobs of about 1000 pilots and flight attendants. The union is also concerned that Alitalia might shift some or all of its medium-haul business to Etihad Airlines. Etihad, based in Abu Dhabi, owns 49% of Alitalia’s shares, bought last summer as a “white knight” when Alitalia was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Another issue involves Alitalia affiliate CityLiner, which serves low-volume short-haul feeder flights to Rome. The union says Alitalia has refused to honor an agreement to pay CityLiner employees on the same pay scale as Alitalia.
More details at TheLocal.it