By Alex Richardson DUBLIN, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Union leaders representing pilots at Ireland's cash-strapped national airline Aer Lingus on Thursday called a one-day strike for February 11 in protest at compulsory redundancies. The strike was called after pilots voted by an overwhelming 475-14 majority in favour of action. Aer Lingus, which late in 2001 was losing 2.5 million euros ($2.15 million) a day, says it must lay off 80 of its 530 pilots under a radical survival plan aimed at saving 190 million euros. "We are being forced into this by a macho management who are picking on pilots, and who refuse to explore alternatives to compulsory redundancy," said Michael Landers of the pilots' union IMPACT. Hopes of averting a strike had been raised on Wednesday when the airline agreed to offer pilots the same redundancy terms as other staff -- one of the union's key demands. But IMPACT said said the company must withdraw compulsory redundancy notices issued to 10 junior pilots to avoid a strike. The company accused union leaders of trying to avoid the need for Aer Lingus to change to survive. "It is simply not acceptable that we retain 80 pilots on the payroll with no aircraft for them to fly," a spokesman for the airline said. Industrial unrest, the global downturn and foot-and-mouth disease in Britain all took their toll on Aer Lingus during 2001, even before the September 11 hijack attacks on the United States tipped the airline industry into crisis. The company responded by cutting capacity and drawing up a survival plan which would see it cut 2,000 jobs from its workforce of 6,300. Aer Lingus, whose efforts to cut costs have extended to selling two Boeing 737 aircraft and even auctioning off its corporate art collection, recently began slashing fares in a further bid to stay afloat. It faces fierce competition on European routes from Dublin-based no-frills operator Ryanair (RYA) and on longhaul transatlantic services -- its most lucrative market -- from larger U.S. and British carriers. The Irish government has begun casting around for a buyer for up to 35 percent of Aer Lingus to fund the airline's rescue, with British Airways (BAY) and Spanish carrier Iberia (IBLA) mooted as possibilities.