Toulouse. Airbus Defense & Space workers protest for pay rises
By Philip Salvador
Published on
The two Toulouse sites ofAirbus Defense & Space were occupied, this Tuesday morning, by nearly 400 employees, at the call of the CFDT, the CGT and the UNSA.
For an hour, they stopped work to demand a bigger salary effort from their management, a week after the start of the annual negotiations.
The group has just announced 4.2 billion euros in profits, the most important in its history. And he’s offering us raises below inflation. It’s unworthy and unacceptable”, protests Hervé Pinard, CFDT central union delegate for Airbus Defense & Space.
“What we are asking for is not exorbitant”
The agreement is far from being found. Indeed, Airbus would accept a revaluation of 3.6% in 2022, while the unions are asking for 6.7%. “It may seem like a lot, but it corresponds to the catch-up of last year, during which the purchasing power of employees fell by more than 2%. Added to this is inflation, which could exceed 4% this year. What we are demanding is therefore not exorbitant, we cannot say that we are particularly greedy, ”puts the trade unionist into perspective.
Inflation at the heart of the discussions
To advance the discussions, the management recalls that it is always concerned about improving the working conditions of its employees. “The health and welfare agreement signed by all the trade unions in February 2022 is a recent example of this”. The group also announces that it is ready to “secure the years 2022 and 2023 by proposing a salary policy of 6.2%”. What the CFDT immediately rejects: “That would mean that, next year, there would only be a 2.6% increase, while we still have no idea of the level that will be reached. inflation”, explains Hervé Pinard.
“Management is taking advantage of the situation”
The latter believes that the Covid-19 crisis has changed the social balance of power within the group. “With confinement and remote work, employees struggled to come together for two years. Today, the management takes advantage of the situation hoping that we will accept everything without saying anything”. A next negotiation meeting is scheduled next Tuesday. Airbus Defense & Space, which has 4,300 employees in Toulouse and 1,600 in Elancourt (Yvelines), announced last month the hiring of 500 employees at these two sites.
Was this article helpful to you? Note that you can follow Actu Toulouse in the My Actu space. In one click, after registration, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.