Airbus to cut 15,000 jobs to survive coronavirus crisis
Airbus on Tuesday unveiled plans to shed 15,000 jobs within a year, including 900 already earmarked in Germany, saying its future was at stake after the coronavirus outbreak paralysed air travel, Reuters reports.
Airbus is moving swiftly to counter damage caused by a 40% slump in its 55 billion euro ($61.8 billion) jet business following the pandemic, balancing the belt-tightening against aid offered by European governments.
But the plane maker faces tough talks with governments as well as unions, which immediately pledged to fight compulsory redundancies. A 2008 restructuring triggered rare strikes and some protests.
“It’s going to be a mighty battle to save jobs,” said Francoise Vallin of the CFE-CGC union.
Europe’s biggest aerospace group said it would cut 5,000 posts in France, 5,100 in Germany, 900 in Spain, 1,700 in the UK, and 1,300 elsewhere by mid-2021, for a core total of 14,000.
The overall tally includes another 900 job cuts planned before the crisis at its Premium AEROTEC unit in Germany.
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