For the second time within a year, Airbus is heading for a wage dispute with IG Metall. The union fears that it will be “broken up” at the expense of many.
In the controversy that has been simmering for months about the planned conversion of aircraft production at Airbus, IG Metall wants to enter into collective bargaining.
The largest German trade union has announced details of the demands and the further procedure for Friday (12.00 p.m.) in Hamburg.
“The management has not yet responded to our suggestions,” said the IG Metall district manager for the coast, Daniel Friedrich, of the dpa. “That is why we have to start the collective bargaining movement now to secure our members in a social collective agreement. We will decide on this in our tariff commission on Friday. ” The union and works councils have already expressed their displeasure with the renovation plans at works meetings and protests.
Waging the dispute in the form of a collective bargaining dispute increases the pressure on the employers’ side because, in the end, a strike would also be possible. Such an escalation would be inconvenient for Airbus because the aircraft manufacturer is sitting on bulging order books, especially for its bestseller, the A320 family, and is planning to ramp up production after the emergency stop in the corona crisis.
Airbus boss Guillaume Faury had announced the renovation plans in the spring. Accordingly, parts of Airbus and large parts of the Premium Aerotec subsidiary are to be merged into a new subsidiary at the beginning of 2022, which will take care of structural assembly. This involves, for example, large body parts. In addition, Airbus is planning a new unit that will concentrate on the production of individual parts and small components. For this company, Airbus aims to establish a connection with a “strong, external partner”. According to earlier information from IG Metall, almost 10,000 employees at the Airbus locations in Hamburg and Stade as well as at the Airbus subsidiary Premium Aerotec in Nordenham, Varel and Augsburg are affected in one form or another.
“The new structure will make Airbus weaker, not stronger,” said IG Metall district manager Friedrich. “We reject a spin-off and a possible sale of the individual parts production, to which the Premium Aerotec plants in Varel and Augsburg partially belong. The area belongs in the new structure. ” In addition, the union insists on “clear commitments for future work that will secure employment and locations in the long term”.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
