At the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus flares up shortly before the departure of company CEO Tom Enders an old discussion again: the struggle for the strategic direction of the Group and the distribution of skills, tasks and jobs to the founding states of Germany and France.
Since early October, it is clear that the French manager Guillaume Faury should replace the German Enders in April. Chairman of Airbus is also a Frenchman. Works councils and trade unions in Germany fear now that in the course of the change of personnel a French superiority threatens and jobs could migrate to the neighboring country. Therefore, they demand long-term guarantees of location and employment and a dialogue about the future, especially for the German plants.
A similar agreement has been around for some time at the Munich Siemens Group. There denunciations are only possible in exceptional cases.
REUTERS
Future Airbus boss Guillaume Faury (right) with pilots of the Beluga XL transport aircraft
To underline their demand, employee representatives want to call together with the IG Metall on Friday in Bremen and Augsburg to meetings. At these two locations alone, the decline in production on the A380 and A400M models puts some 600 jobs at risk as well as the jobs of many temporary workers. Employees in the remaining around 40 German Airbus branches are to participate in the planned action day as part of internal information events. The union also distributes leaflets to the workforce.
"We want to enter into a future dialogue with central management," explains IG Metall Board member Jürgen Kerner. He sits on two Airbus Group companies in the control committee. Among other things, the talks will focus on the German production share of the next generation of helicopters. In addition, it is to be clarified which role domestic locations play in the planned German-French fighter jet or an expansion of production in the successful A320 model.
Kerner and his colleagues want to put pressure not only on corporate management, but also on politics. "The Federal Government still owns eleven percent of Airbus and is also a major buyer of military equipment," warns nuclear officer IG Metaller Kerner. "Not only does this give us the privilege of collecting dividends, but also the obligation to work for the interests of the employees at the German sites."