Pilots, Estonian Air Talking
Union representatives spent yesterday and last night in negotiations with Estonian Air management, Postimees reported.
Jan Palmer, CEO of Estonian Air, said that negotiations with the Estonian Airline Pilots Association were constructive and signing a new collective agreement with the pilots is possible,
Airline Pilots Association representatives could not be reached for comment by the paper.
Palmer did not want to reveal which conditions of the contract are being debated, adding only that the goal is to reach a agreement that would be flexible enough for the company to stay in competition with other airlines.
“If we do not reach an agreement and the strike will materialize, the losses could be so great that it would be difficult to carry on,” said Palmer, adding that bankruptcy could be the consequence of a strike.
Pilots union chairman Rauno Menning told Eesti Päevaleht before yesterday's talks that the pilots do not want to go through with the strike. Menning adds: “A new collective agreement, even a temporary one, would allow us to forgo the strike.”