Airbus employees in Spain resume strike after rejecting pay, conditions offer

Thousands of Airbus workers in Spain resumed strike action this week after rejecting the company’s latest pay offer and mediation proposal, unions said on Wednesday, ahead of a new mediation meeting scheduled for Thursday.

Unions said about 90% of eligible workers took part in Tuesday’s stoppage, which they described as the start of an indefinite strike after 22 days of industrial action in July.

French unions briefed on the dispute have said the three striking Spanish unions represented about 40% of Airbus Spain’s roughly 14,000 employees. The number of workers taking part could not be independently confirmed.

The strike was called after workers voted at plant-level assemblies to reject a pay-and-conditions proposal presented by the company at a mediation session on Friday.

Unions said the offer lacked firm timelines and financial commitments, and deferred key issues such as holidays, flexible hours and transport.

Airbus, which is under pressure to meet its annual delivery target of 870 jets, has frozen planned hiring in Spain for the duration of the strike, according to Alfonso Mora, head of the Airbus works council in Spain. Airbus did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Union representatives said the stoppage had already slowed military and commercial production and would make it harder for the company to meet its delivery target. Airbus said last week that disruption to administrative and support functions had not yet affected production.

Workers are seeking inflation-linked pay rises, the restoration of previous remote-working arrangements and sick-leave benefits.

Airbus has already softened plans to reduce remote working after July’s protests, allowing staff to continue working from home an average of two days a week.

Airbus’ eight sites in Spain produce military transport planes and parts for commercial aircraft and satellites.