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A strike by staff of Alitalia airlines grounded 364 flights on Monday, forcing thousands of passengers to change their plans and adding to disruption caused by labour disputes in other parts of Italy's transport sector.

Check-in counters at Rome's Fiumicino airport were deserted and baggage carousels silent as staff abandoned their posts for eight hours in protest over a restructuring plan that would reduce the carrier's workforce by 2,700, or some 12 percent.

The strike, the third by staff since the state-controlled company presented its three-year plan in October, affected about 18,000 passengers. On top of the cancellations, Alitalia had to reschedule a further 64 flights.

Hundreds of workers based at Fiumicino staged a sit-in outside the Italian Treasury in central Rome.

"We want the government to be bold and sack (Alitalia Chief Executive Francesco) Mengozzi because he's already caused enough damage, and to start new negotiations aimed at improving the company," said union representative Gennaro Pacchiarotti.

This month the airline, which has forecast operating losses of more than 400 million euros ($508 million) for 2003, lifted a planned pay freeze that had enraged employees and unions, and delayed a final decision on the job cuts pending further labour talks.

The carrier is battling to cut costs to make it fit to try to enter a merger of Air France and KLM. Alitalia declined to comment on the financial impact of the strikes.

Aside from walkouts by its own staff, the carrier cancelled hundreds of other flights due to strikes during the Christmas holiday period by air traffic controllers over pay.

Copyright Reuters, 2004


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