Pilots at Spanish airline Iberia have postponed a possible strike until after the peak summer travel season in July and August, the head of the pilot's union SEPLA-Iberia said on Wednesday.

The union says Iberia is refusing to negotiate a new agreement with the pilots on pay and conditions.

"Since January... Iberia has adopted a policy of persecution and punishment against pilots which is unjust and humiliating," Bernardo Obrador said, adding that the union had received no calls from the company on negotiations since April.

Obrador said the union wanted Spaniards to be able to take travel in peace and not be "penalized by the bad management at Iberia".

"SEPLA-Iberia will not go on strike in July or August," Obrador told a news conference. "But if the current circumstances continue, we will call a strike after the summer."

Iberia is working on a plan which includes cost savings and additional revenues amounting to an extra EUR550 million to EUR600 million (USD$664.2 million-$724.6 million).

Publication of the plan had been expected in September but this could now be brought forward to the middle of July, an industry source said.

A spokesman at Iberia declined to comment on the union's strike plans but pointed out that whenever the company's plans are published, these could "form a stronger basis for negotiations".

Obrador said the union had not yet decided what type of strike action would be taken after the summer or when the strike would be called.

The union argues that the airline is making profits and receiving cash from disposals such as a EUR600 million (USD$664.2 million) gain from the sale of its stake in travel booking firm Amadeus and that it should share this with its staff as well as its shareholders.

SEPLA-Iberia says it represents 95 percent of the airline's 2,000 pilots.