Airbus agrees to avoid involuntary layoffs in three countries until 2023

Airbus has entered an agreement with a German trade union to avoid involuntary layoffs in three countries until the end of 2023.

Under this deal, the aircraft manufacturer will protect jobs at its sites in France, Germany and the UK, reported Reuters.

The company will resort to other measures such as voluntary redundancy programmes, early retirement or internal transfers.

Last June, the company revealed plans to cut approximately 15,000 jobs worldwide, or 11% of its total workforce, as part of a restructuring following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

This would affect 5,000 posts in France, 5,100 in Germany, 900 in Spain, 1,700 in the UK, and 1,300 elsewhere this year, according to the media agency.

Airbus was quoted by AFP as saying: “At this moment, and thanks to the effectiveness of all social measures deployed so far, Airbus does not see the need to implement forced redundancies in France, Germany and the UK.”

On 4 March, Airbus entered an agreement with German metalworkers’ union IG Metall to avoid thousands of forced redundancies in Europe.

The company employs 55,000 people in Germany.

Airbus workers council head Holger Junge head said in a news conference: “The decision of Airbus management to rule out forced redundancies is a huge relief for all of us.”