Airbus Faces A Big Problem

Airbus is facing the prospect of a mass walkout of its employees, spelling bad news for the planemaker’s productivity.

Unite says 3,000 of its members will walk out for 10 days in September, as these employees voted for industrial action overwhelmingly.

The overwhelming majority, which was 90% in favour, will mean that across three weeks, ten days will see strikes unfold, including the following dates as confirmed by Unite.

September 2nd and 3rd, followed by September 10th and 11th and then five further days from September 15th.

Unite says the strikes are going to be dependent on the specific shift patterns of the sites where the employees are going to be striking.

The General Secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, says they wholeheartedly support the actions of its employee Group who will be conducting the strike action.

Graham says that Airbus, as a planemaker, remains in a fortunate position where it can generate billions in profit on an annual basis even with the current economic conditions.

The argument, therefore, stands that the members of Airbus should be paid adequately for the work they conduct to help power this global company.

The members who are striking, based in Broughton, are taking these dramatic measures following the pay offer which had been put forward, not reflecting the current cost of living crisis.

The union says it remains in a position where it is open to negotiate with Airbus to find a mutually beneficial deal, but under no circumstances thinks it’ll be left short-changed and in a position where the employees it represents will go without the pay they deserve.

If strike action goes ahead, the impact on Airbus would be profound, with its already highly damaged production and output set to be hurt even further.

Ultimately, Airbus will need to put forward an offer to Unite that accounts for inflation and the pressures that have arisen from the cost of living, and a deal that reflects the value of the highly specialised skill set that is equipped by those working at Airbus.

Airbus Not Alone

Airbus is not alone in facing strike action in recent years, and with the genuine prospect of it occurring, it has become a theme industry-wide, more than ever during the pandemic.

With cost-of-living pressures increasing and wages in the industry not matching the rising rates of affordability, employees of airlines and broader aviation companies have sought better contracts.

Those contracts were meant to reflect the importance of the roles, with the industry and specific positions arguably underpaid for the highly skilled nature and pressures associated with them.

Air Canada just recently saw a major strike that shut down its entire flight operations across its mainline and Rouge division, and this was hardly the first shutdown witnessed with an international airline in the last few years.

Over at Lufthansa, there have been several strikes conducted by multiple unions, all seeking better contracts for their employees, including better pay and benefits.

Naturally, as more and more airlines begin to see neighbouring and competitors get better pay contracts, they’ll head to their unions representing their rights and seek something similar.

If strike action is conducted at Airbus, it’ll represent another speed bump in the planemaker’s 2025, which has been far from ideal because of the economic conditions alongside its supply chain struggles.