The Latam Pilots' Union (SPL) has announced the start of a strike as of midnight of Wednesday, after the failure of the mediation process in the Labor Directorate (DT).
This is an unprecedented strike by the union, which accuses the company of "refusing to continue talking" by not agreeing to extend the process for five more days.
The union has accused that the company refused to extend the negotiations, despite the fact that there were still five legal days left to continue the talks.
The strike will affect more than 460 pilots, representing more than half of the airline's flight operators in Chile.
Announcing the union's decision yesterday afternoon, SPL President Mario Troncoso said that
"we find it inexplicable that the company's management, as we said on October 16, has led us by the hand to a strike that we have always considered avoidable if you compare the profits made by the company and the moderation of labor demands."
He also accused that the firm "has done everything possible so that the start of the strike does not coincide with the profit report for the third quarter of this year, so as not to have to explain to the public a situation of conflict with its workers at the same time that it reports the highest profits in its history."
Latam, anticipating the disruption, rescheduled flights for November 12 and 13, offering passengers changes at no cost or full refund.
The conflict has been escalating since last week, when 97% of the pilots in negotiation rejected the company's latest offer, which according to the union, did not substantially improve its initial proposal.
In 2020, during the pandemic, workers accepted salary reductions and adjustments in working conditions to guarantee the continuity of the company, commitments that today, they say, Latam refuses to reverse, despite its profits in the post-pandemic recovery.
