A flight attendant of the former Italian airline Alitalia. Image: Pinterest
Italian flight attendants strip down in flash mob protest [watch]
A group of flight attendants from the now defunct Italian airline Alitalia stripped down to their undergarments in a choreographed protest.
A flight attendant of the former Italian airline Alitalia. Image: Pinterest
The trials and tribulations of national airlines seem to make headline news all over the world. It appears that the situation at Italy’s newfound national airline mirrors that of South Africa’s relaunched national carrier.
Dozens of former Alitalia flight attendants took to the streets of Rome on Wednesday this week, stripping off their uniforms to show their frustration over losing their jobs or their displeasure with significantly lower rates of pay at the newly formed Italian national airline.
ODE TO ALITALIA
Footage of the protest shows the former Alitalia flight attendants in Rome’s famous Campidoglio Piazza, chanting “We are Alitalia” and joining hands as a symbol of unity.
On 14 October, Italy’s national airline Alitalia ceased operations after 74 years of service. The decades-old Alitalia operated its last commercial flight between Cagliari (Sardinia) and Rome on 14 October.
Italy’s newly formed national carrier, Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA) takes over from Alitalia, which had been in bankruptcy since 2017.
ITALY’S NEW NATIONAL AIRLINE
Italy’s new national carrier, Italia Trasporto Aereo, began operations on 15 October using some of Alitalia’s aircraft and personnel. ITA took over the Alitalia brand, but has only offered employment to around 2 800 of the former Alitalia’s 10 000 employees.
Former Alitalia employees are displeased with working conditions and the payscales offered to them by their new employer, ITA. Several disgruntled employees decided to show their displeasure in the form of an organised protest which appears to be a flash mob event.
TURNING THE TIDE
ITA will introduce its own new branding and aircraft livery in the coming weeks, according to Liveandletsfly. The company intends to be profitable by running a leaner operation than Alitalia did. ITA has begun this mission by thinning down the former airline’s workforce.
Airline Unions failed to reach an agreement with ITA over labour conditions for former Alitalia employees hired by ITA. These employees are being paid lower wages than they received for the same work at Alitalia.
ABCNews states that union leaders have been pushing the Italian government to extend unemployment benefits for as long as five years.
