Airbus finds itself in a large air hole. – Frédéric Scheiber / AP / Sipa
- Faced with the worst crisis in its history, Airbus announced Tuesday 15,000 job cuts, 11% of its global workforce, including 5,000 in France.
- The Secretary of State for Transport says that government measures could save 2,000 in France.
- The issue is crucial for Toulouse, where thousands of direct and indirect jobs are at stake, and where elected officials hope to help bring down the damage figure.
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“Heavy”, “massive”, “excessive” even according to Bercy. In the dark sky of the post-Covid-19 world, Airbus did not leave its mark on Tuesday by announcing an XXL restructuring plan, providing for the elimination of 15,000 jobs worldwide – or 11% of its workforce – including 5,000 in France.With Force Ouvrière some 3,000 “white-collar workers” and 1,830 “blue-collar workers” threatened in the commercial aviation division.
Inevitably, at a time when companies are exhausted, when air traffic is slow to take off, we had to expect a disaster at the European aircraft manufacturer which has already reduced its speeds by 40% and, historically, has recorded no new orders since May.
“We did some calculations last night”
Guillaume Faury, the boss of Airbus, said Tuesday rely mainly on voluntary departures, early retirements and the government’s long-term partial unemployment scheme. But it does not commit at this stage to the absence of dry layoffs, a red line set by the unions.
So, this sawing in 5,000 hexagonal stations, of which Airbus reserves the “breakdown” for the social partners, is it only a possible worst-case scenario? Can it be revised downwards by the summer of 2021, the date when this restructuring plan must be finalized?
The government, which presented on June 9 a plan to support aeronautics of 15 billion euros (including 7 to help Air France pass the course), hopes. “We made calculations tonight,” said Jean-Baptiste Djebarri, secretary of state for transport, on Wednesday morning on the RMC and BFM TV antenna.
Air tickets at 10 euros, “it’s no longer possible” for Jean-Baptiste Djebbari pic.twitter.com/IVZBBjWpR7
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) July 1, 2020
He is counting on the rescue of “2,000 jobs” at Airbus thanks to public measures: 500 through the investment fund for the development of the green plane, 1,500 through that of long-term partial unemployment. While Guillaume Faury calculated that this last lever would only keep 1,000 jobs on the production chains.
The FO union, majority in France, announces that it wants to “decrease” the overall figure of the planned departures.
Elected officials mobilized in Toulouse
In Toulouse, where economic and political circles have been waiting for several weeks, the potion is bitter. Particularly because the prospect of opening a new assembly line for the very long-haul A321XLR, replacing that of the A380, is now frozen.
Jean-Luc Moudenc (LR), the re-elected mayor of Toulouse, reiterates his “total support for the aeronautical world”. “Our teams will use all the means at their disposal to mitigate the effects of this plan on the employment of Toulouse residents,” he said. On Tuesday, just before the announcements, the city councilor published a letter addressed to Guillaume Faury where he was surprised that Airbus had decided to subcontract the manufacture of nacelles to an American group which manufactures in China and Mexico, in detriment of the Toulouse industrial world.
Carole Delga (PS), the president of the Occitanie Region, where 40% of industrial jobs depending on aeronautics, is also in combat mode. She announced for Friday a support plan of 100 million euros to help the industry, in particular subcontractors, “to withstand the shock of the coming months” and to innovate. She warns that she will be vigilant about supporting affected employees.
“With this announcement of job cuts, which is in addition to those already made by subcontractors, it is employment in our territory that is in danger”, finally alarmed Georges Méric (PS), the president of the Haute-Garonne departmental council.
From Paris to Toulouse, elected officials are now looking for parachutes to save jobs and cushion the shock wave of Airbus announcements.
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