Since the coronavirus crisis, the airline industry has struggled to recover. As the planes could no longer circulate, economic losses accumulated, thus pushing Air France and Airbus to each initiate a major social plan. Thousands of jobs will be lost.
The aircraft manufacturer Airbus will put in place a historic plan for its scale. "It's going to be violent," recognizes a manager of the company at Europe 1. The group announced that it would cut approximately 15,000 jobs worldwide, including 5,000 in France.
Retirement and voluntary departures
How to explain such a social plan? "40% of our activity is canceled or delayed, we are forced to adapt," replied a member of management. The company will try not to embark on dry layoffs but rather not replace retirements.
She will also use short-time working a lot when possible but also offer voluntary redundancies. On the other hand, the situation is likely to be more critical for temporary workers. All the factories of the group will be affected, including the nerve center of Toulouse.
Airlines near bankruptcy
On the Air France side, more than 7,500 positions will be cut. According to the unions, one in six jobs should disappear by 2022. A figure that should be confirmed by management on Friday. The same logic as that of Airbus will apply at Air France: a little less than half of these job cuts will be departures not replaced. "We have a very favorable age pyramid. Many employees will soon be retiring," says the management.
Early retirement and voluntary departure are also envisaged. The company also intends not to impose departures. An ambition that leaves unions dubious. Indeed, according to Bercy, all the companies are almost bankrupt and Air France must return to profitability so as not to disappear.