Iberia (Madrid) and the SEPLA pilots association are a critical stage of negotiations for a new contract. After reaching a tentative agreement in the negotiations in late January, the union has now left the negotiations. The union is claiming the airline is changing the previous agreement concerning the retirement age, pay increases (the wages have been frozen for the past five years) and who will fly the long-range routes. SEPLA has called for a meeting on Thursday to either accept the new proposal or call for a strike.