A new forceful measure by the Airline Pilots Association (APLA) once again disrupted the normal operations of Aerolíneas Argentinas. According to the company, between 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday and 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday, 22 flights were canceled and another 28 were rescheduled, directly affecting more than 6,000 passengers and generating estimated losses of 1.1 million dollars.
Aerolíneas stated that this is "a political strike, not a labor demand", emphasizing that the union led by Pablo Biró decided to move forward with the measure despite having signed a collective bargaining agreement less than 20 days ago. "During the meetings following that agreement, no urgent or serious demands were presented that would justify such actions," they stressed.
The state-owned company recently announced its first positive operating result since the 2008 renationalization. In this context, the authorities indicated that APLA's actions are more related to an ideological stance than to the genuine interests of the pilots. "This type of practice contrasts with the union's passive attitude during previous administrations, which recorded annual losses exceeding 400 million dollars," stated Fabián Lombardo's management.
The impact of the strike and union precedents
This is not the first time APLA has threatened to halt flights on sensitive dates. Before Easter, a similar measure was called off at the last minute after negotiations. This time, the company regretted that the union insists on forceful measures right before two long weekends and on the eve of the winter season.
"The union's actions are extortionate. Biró uses passengers as hostages while the company makes efforts not to harm the public," internal sources stated.
