Airbus put 3,000 employees on furlough due to coronavirus

'The difficulties facing the airline industry, including airline manufacturers, go far beyond Wales.'

More than 3,000 Airbus staff will be furloughed as the aerospace giant seeks to stop ‘bleeding cash at an unprecedented rate’ – its chief executive Guillaume Faury announced.

Workers at its North Wales site in Broughton will be put under the Government’s job retention scheme that pays 80 per cent of wages up to £2,500 a month.

The company hopes to top up salaries by a further five to 10 per cent as the coronavirus pandemic continues to bite.

Union officials described the move as ‘devastating news’ for the workforce.

Earlier this month, Airbus announced aircraft production would be cut by about a third and hundreds of airlines have grounded the majority of their fleets.

Airbus employs 13,500 people in the UK, including at Broughton, and Filton in Bristol.

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A spokesman said: ‘Airbus confirms it has agreed with its social partners to apply the Government’s job retention scheme for approximately 3,200 production and production-support employees at its commercial aircraft site in Broughton’

Peter Hughes, Unite Wales regional secretary, said: ‘The current crisis in the aviation industry caused by coronavirus is causing concern over the long-term viability of the plant at Broughton.

‘The fact that the vast majority of the core workforce are about to be furloughed is very worrying.

‘While we of course recognise the enormous challenges facing the industry, it is crucial that Airbus holds its nerve and does everything within its power to get through this crisis fully intact and ready to ramp up production to pre-pandemic levels when the crisis ends.

‘Today’s news has to result in urgent and immediate UK Government financial support for the aerospace sector to enable it to get through this intensely difficult period.’

Daz Reynolds, Unite convenor at Broughton, said the workforce was ‘extremely worried’ for the future.

‘Today’s news has come as a body-blow to the whole plant. We need to protect the highly-skilled and dedicated workforce at Broughton,’ he said.

Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford has already called for the Government to support manufacturing in the country.

He said: ‘The difficulties facing the airline industry, including airline manufacturers, go far beyond Wales.

‘We will play our part, but we need a solution that addresses the global nature of the problem.’

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