SANTIAGO – Some 126,000 passengers will be affected by the strike initiated by crew members of a subsidiary of the Latam Airlines, after negotiations with the workers’ union of the company that canceled about 800 flights failed.
LATAM Airlines, one of the largest air transport groups in Latin America, did not reach an agreement on Thursday in a meeting with the striking union of its subsidiary LAN Express, which could force the company to adjust more flights.
According to the company, 800 flights were canceled until April 18 and 126,000 passengers will be affected until that date by the strike. The group, with headquarters in Santiago, has operating units in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru.
The LAN Express Cabin Crew Syndicate, which includes about 1,000 airline workers, started the stoppage last Tuesday in demand mainly for improvements in the rest shifts, in addition to the maintenance of salaries for new employees.
“The conditions that they offer us are still insufficient, they did not bring any concrete proposal, they are still the same, they do not go in the sense that we are looking for, which is to have one more day of rest”, said the president of the union, Silka Seitz, after the meeting with the company.
The parties set a new meeting for Monday the 16th. The measure of force has affected hundreds of LATAM flights in Chile, as well as connections in South America. However, long distance services would not be impacted.
