Airbus workers, subcontractors march to Toulouse airport for layoffs protest

Hundreds of Airbus workers marched on Wednesday 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 plane maker 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, in an hour-and-a-half strike, a first at Airbus since 2008, highlighting how the company's usually harmonious labor 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.

(Source: Reuters)

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