The Airbus boss is angry about the strike threats from IG Metall.
(Photo: Reuters)
Munich IG Metall calls for warning strikes in the dispute over the future structure at Airbus and Premium Aerotec. A protest action is planned on Thursday before the supervisory board meeting in Hamburg, the union announced on Wednesday. In addition, an online rally is being prepared for Friday.
The latest negotiations have shown that Airbus is looking for an escalation, said IG Metall district manager Daniel Friedrich. The management has withdrawn agreements on how to proceed and is not ready to conclude a fair future package for all employees and locations. “If we do not come to a solution in a timely manner, we will run into a major conflict.”
With all-day warning strikes at Airbus, IG Metall wants to paralyze production at all of the aircraft manufacturer’s German locations from Thursday. Work stoppages are sometimes planned over several shifts and days.
Airbus boss Guillaume Faury attacked IG Metall with violent words after the renewed call for a warning strike. In the past 20 months, Airbus employees have shown “incredible commitment and remarkable solidarity to carry Airbus through an unprecedented crisis in the corona pandemic,” wrote Faury in an internal letter to the German workforce. “The fact that this enormous collective effort is now being called into question by blocking activities is inappropriate and disrespectful to all those who give so much for Airbus every day.”
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
According to Faury’s letter, which is also signed by Mike Schöllhorn, the chairman of the supervisory board of the German Airbus Operations GmbH, there is “so far no serious reason” that would justify the call for a warning strike. Both managers pointed out that they had given “many guarantees in terms of safety, working conditions and investments in the future” since the start of the renovation plan.
Airbus Group Works Council Chairman Holger Junge said that instead of a split, there was a need for prospects for the employees. “We want the work share to be secured at all current Airbus and Premium Aerotec locations and that we are equally involved in the future programs.”
Airbus wants to sell parts of the supplier subsidiary Premium Aerotec. Around 3500 people work in single-part production, mainly in Augsburg and Varel near Bremen. Airbus no longer counts them as part of its core business.
More: One-time crisis, one-time measures: When it comes to aircraft construction, Airbus and its suppliers should pull together