Nearly 5,000 employees of Airbus Spain, on strike since July 1, have marched through the streets of Getafe to demand salary increases and improvements in work-life balance. Negotiations with management continue without progress.
The nearly 5,000 Airbus Spain workers supporting the strike since July 1 staged a massive march in Getafe on Thursday, where the company has its largest centre with 9,000 employees. The protest began at the north gate of the factory, passing along John Lennon Avenue and the square of Colonel Enrique Polanco, reaching the Getafe Town Hall, where the mayor and two councillors received the demonstrators.
The labour conflict, called by the Independent Union of Aeronautical Professionals (SIPA) and supported by UGT, CCOO, ATP, UTIL, and CGT, has spread to all Airbus centres in Spain: Illescas (Toledo), Albacete, Cádiz, and the Seville districts of Tablada and San Pablo. According to union sources, the strike participation reaches 95% of the workforce.
Salary and work-life balance demands
The key points of the conflict are salary increases, work-life balance, teleworking, management of temporary incapacity, and the possible segregation of the Space business from Airbus. The unions claim that the company has imposed unilateral measures without negotiating with the workers' representatives.
SIPA initiated the strike on July 1 and plans to maintain it until July 31. CCOO, which joined earlier this week, has warned that if there is no agreement in the coming weeks, it will call for an indefinite strike starting September 7. Meanwhile, Airbus management in Spain claims to be “open to dialogue.”
Resounding success of the mobilization
The unions described the march as a “resounding success” and emphasized that “this struggle is not just for our rights, but to regain the dignity we have lost.” In the afternoon, a new meeting with a senior Airbus executive could unlock the conflict, according to sources from the social side.
The strike affects the production of the company's main aeronautical programmes in Spain, including the A320 and the Eurofighter. For the residents of Getafe, the strike has an impact on local economic activity, as Airbus is the largest employer in the area. The Getafe factory employs 9,000 people, many of whom reside in the municipality and nearby towns such as Leganés, Móstoles, or Fuenlabrada.
Airbus Spain has a total of 14,000 workers, of which 9,000 are in Getafe. The company hopes to return to normality “as soon as possible” to mitigate the impact on its employees, operations, and customers.
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