MADRID, Feb 18, 2013 (AFP) - Strikers at Spanish airline Iberia clashed with baton-wielding police at Madrid-Barajas airport on Monday as they launched a five-day action against job cuts.
Thousands of strikers crowded outside Terminal Four and tried to force their way into the building chanting "Yes we can!" as they struggled to get past anti-riot police in helmets.
Police at first managed to push the Iberia protesters back, striking out with batons at some workers and detaining at least one man who was led away in handcuffs, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
After several charges, however, police relented and the Iberia strikers poured through the doors into the terminal defending their strike, which led to hundreds of flight cancellations.
First in a series of strikes
Iberia's cabin crew, ground staff and maintenance workers were striking from Monday to Friday in the first of a series of three 5-day strikes to protest plans to axe 3,800 jobs.
The flag carrier said it scrapped 415 flights across Spain and Europe for the week including 81 on Monday alone. The airline said it expected to operate 135 flights on Monday.
Iberia's offshoots were hard hit. Iberia Express chopped 20 flights on Monday alone and regional carrier Air Nostrum cut another 57.
Iberia ground crew service flights for budget carrier Vueling, forcing that airline, also, to curb operations.
Vueling said it had cut 354 flights for the five days -- 39 percent of its usual service. A list posted on the airline's web site showed 78 cancellations for Monday alone.
Iberia workers also plan to strike from March 4-8 and again from March 18-22 to protest against the job cuts announced by International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns Iberia and British Airways.
IAG announced last week that it would axe 3,800 jobs at Iberia to save costs but said it was still open to talks with unions during a formal 30-day consultation process.
Iberia executives say the airline accumulated 850 million euros ($1.1 billion) in losses between 2008 and September 2012.
The airline aims to cut its capacity by 15 percent this year, eliminating some loss-making routes to Latin America and trimming its fleet by 25 aircraft, including five long-haul jets
Iberia said there were no significant incidents during the first day of the strike action, with 85 percent of passengers already put on other flights and the other 15 percent reimbursed.
