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Airport chaos as strikes hit Alitalia flights

Business Materials 12 November 2008 16:39 (UTC +04:00)

Italian airline Alitalia canceled more flights Wednesday amid a protest action by pilots and flight attendants, reported CNN.

Eighteen flights had been canceled by 0830 GMT Wednesday stranding hundreds of passengers. The airline canceled 124 flights Tuesday.

A group of investors has crafted new employee contracts as part of its plan to bail out the ailing airline. The investors are pumping $1.25 billion (1 billion euros) into Alitalia.

Pilots and flight attendants in four major trade unions are protesting the contracts through a "work to rule" action -- essentially doing the bare minimum required by their contracts in an attempt to slow the work process and pressure management to pay attention to their grievances.

Government officials and representatives of the revamped airline have declined to re-open contract negotiations with trade unions. They have threatened to hire pilots and flight attendants from other airlines if necessary.

European Union Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani said Wednesday he approved of the Alitalia takeover plan but warned the airline it must pay back a 300 million euro ($380 million) loan from the Italian government, The Associated Press reported.

Tarjani said the sale of Alitalia's assets would lead to the creation of a new Italian airline "smaller in size but more efficient," AP said.

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