Shorter working week could spare redundancies at Airbus

UNITE is discussing securing a mandate from Airbus members to negotiate a shorter working week at Broughton as one of its options to save hundreds of jobs.

More than 1,400 jobs are under threat at the 6,000-employee wingassembly plant as Airbus reduces its production levels by 40% due to the current aviation crisis.

Unite the union has asked for UK and Welsh Government backing to use a type of extended “mini-furlough” and training to support staff carrying out a shorter working week.

They are now considering balloting members to ask them if they support the union negotiating on this basis.

It could also mean members accepting a pay cut for working fewer hours to help reduce redundancies at the plant.

Darren Reynolds, Unite convenor sion.barry@walesonline.co.uk at Airbus, said: “We want to save as many jobs as possible, we are totally against compulsory redundancies and this is why we are looking for this support from our members for options.

“We are continuing discussions with the company to get the best outcome for our members on the Broughton site.”

Airbus is reducing its global workforce by around 15,000 – with more than 1,700 of those in the UK, mainly at Broughton. Airbus has said it hopes to complete the process through voluntary redundancies.