Croatia Airlines strike imminent

Strike details revealed

Croatia Airlines employees and the carrier’s management have failed to reach an agreement over new terms of their collective agreements. As a result, unions will go ahead with their planned strike action scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 8. The strike will begin at 06.00 CET in the morning and will last a full 24 hours. The strike should in theory effect only 20% of flights but in practice many employees might simply not show up for work.

The management says that new requests by employees would harm the airline’s plans to break even this year and report a profit in 2013. They estimate the carrier will lose up to 200.000 euros during the one day strike action. Croatia Airlines pilots are requesting for a decision on minimum rest periods to be overturned. Meanwhile, cabin crew want the management to stop hiring new staff through agencies while all want for a new recovery plan to be drafted.

Croatia Airlines has in the past few years been hit by a series of strikes. In 2010, the airline’s cabin crew staged a four day walkout. Last May another strike was planned but was averted at the last minute. In November 2011, many flights were affected as employees at Zagreb Airport walked off the job.