Fighting for an end to Airbus drama
Airbus is hoping the announcement of 10,000 job cuts will end bickering between Germany and France. But unions who want to prevent the cuts will continue to fight. Stephen Beard reports.
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KAI RYSSDAL: The European plane maker Airbus has confirmed that it will cut 10,000 jobs over the next four years. The company’s been forced into a painful restructuring by cost over-runs on its new super-jumbo A380. From London, Marketplace’s Stephen Beard reports unions are promising to fight those cuts.
STEPHEN BEARD: Airbus says the cuts are vital. The super-jumbo is two years late and way over budget. The weak dollar has also put the company under pressure, making Airbus planes more expensive and Boeings cheaper.
Today’s announcment was long delayed. France and Germany had quarrelled over who would bear most of the job losses. As it turned out, French factories were worse hit.
The company’s boss, Louis Gallois, said this national bickering has to stop.
LOUIS GALLOIS: National conflicts are poison for Airbus. We have to be careful not to be more interested with national interests than to the future of Airbus.
That future still looks rocky. Airbus unions are threatening strike action if the job cuts go ahead.
In London, this is Stephen Beard for Marketplace.