- Title: Airbus workers, subcontractors march to Toulouse airport for layoffs protest
- Date: 9th July 2020
- Summary: BLAGNAC, FRANCE (JULY 9, 2020) (REUTERS) AIRBUS WORKERS AND SUBCONTRACTORS FROM CGT UNION AND MARCHNG PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN THAT READS (French): "No to job layoffs, yes to re-dividing jobs for all with no loss of employees" PROTESTER DRESSED AS VIKING BEATING DRUM PROTESTERS CHANTING FOR AUTONOMY PROTESTERS MARCHING TOWARDS AIRPORT (SOUNDBITE) (French) THALES ENGINEER FOR 20 YEARS, DOMINIQUE FERRACHAT, 57, SAYING: "We are quite worried by the fact that all the other aeronautic firms are implementing plans to cut jobs, whether it's restructuring or reducing works hours. So we are worried that the same thing will happen in our company, and there's no reason that we would avoid having the same impact, as we are in the same industry as the others." PROTESTERS GATHERED ON STREET FAR-LEFT PARTY LA FRANCE INSOUMISE LEADER JEAN-LUC MELENCHON SPEAKING TO CGT UNION MEMBERS CGT UNION MEMBERS (SOUNDBITE) (French) LEADER OF FAR-LEFT PARTY LA FRANCE INSOUMISE, JEAN-LUC MELENCHON, SAYING:" "We start by reassuring people's lives. What's most important are people, human beings. If we were a poor country, in ruin, in a catastrophe, with no money, I would say, 'Ok everyone tighten your belts a notch'. But if there are means, and there are means, the first thing to guarantee is that people have a decent income. Can we do it? Yes, we can do it." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING PLACARD THAT READS (French) "The stockholders have profited well, so let them pay!" PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTER HOLDING PLACARD (SOUNDBITE) (French) LEADER OF FAR-LEFT PARTY LA FRANCE INSOUMISE, JEAN-LUC MELENCHON, SAYING: "(Airbus) must get organised, and stop conjuring magic, and believing that loan guarantees and cash advances will fix a problem as big as this. They must have a plan, meaning to become capable of moving from types of production where we're at, to other types, all the while maintaining the level of production, because it's not from one day to another that we will wipe out air transport from the map. Air transport must continue to exist, and France must excel in it, and the planes that we construct must be of the highest level of environmental standards that can be achieved. There's a lot of work to be done." PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTERS IN BICYCLES VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED IN FRONT OF BLAGNAC AIRPORT (ALSON KNOWN AS TOULOUSE AIRPORT)
- Embargoed: 23rd July 2020 12:50
- Keywords: Blagnac airport airbus job cuts layoffs protest march restructuring plan
- Location: BLAGNAC, FRANCE
- City: BLAGNAC, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA001CM38P53
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS LIVE-U QUALITY/ EDIT 4124-AIRBUS-RESTRUCTURING/PROTEST-WORKERS HAS HIQH-QUALITY IMAGES AND MORE INTERVIEWS WITH WORKERS
Hundreds of Airbus workers marched on Thursday (July 9) to protest against plans to cut up to 15,000 jobs.
Airbus unions, joined by subcontractors and affiliated of employees like Thales, marched to the Toulouse-Blagnac airport, near the Airbus headquarters, carrying banners with slogans like "No to job layoffs".
The European planemaker announced the 11% reduction in its workforce last week, saying its survival was at stake from the collapse in air travel due to the coronavirus crisis.
Workers also protested on Wednesday (July 8), in an hour-and-a-half strike, a first at Airbus since 2008, highlighting how the company's usually harmonious labour relations are frayed by the restructuring plan.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the far-left party La France Insoumise, joined the gathering and expressed his support for the unions.
"(Airbus) must get organised, and stop conjuring magic, and believing that loan guarantees and cash advances will fix a problem as big as this. They must have a plan," Melenchon said, urging Airbus to use the expertise of French engineers to re-imagine the production line and manufacture a new generation of environment-friendly aircraft.
Unions have declared a "red line" over forced cuts, backed by the French government which has called the plan excessive.
(Production: Jordi Rubio, Luis Felipe Castilleja, Michaela Cabrera) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
