REPORTAGE
This is a new blow to the European economy already hit by the coronavirus: after Air France, the aircraft manufacturer Airbus announced Tuesday the reduction of around 15,000 jobs, or 11% of its workforce, including 5,100 jobs in Germany, 5,000 in France and 1,700 in the United Kingdom. With the drop in deliveries of 40% for the giant based in Toulouse, the employees met on Wednesday are not surprised but fear a generalized depression in the aviation sector.
"Twinge"
The return to work has had a bitter taste since very early Wednesday morning. All were expecting a plan of this magnitude, but as of yet no one knows which sites or which divisions will be affected. "Everyone is very worried, the period of July is not necessarily the best time to announce this," said Didier, who has spent 36 years in this company and wishes to stay there, "because we are doing great things". "It's painful, like a pinch in the heart."
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In the wake of Airbus, there are also all the subcontractors in the region who expect to suffer the consequences of the post-coronavirus crisis. Daher and Derichebourg have already announced job cuts and that should not stop. "It's still scary for all economic sectors in the region," fears Olivier, who works for another heavyweight in the sector. "There will be a snowball effect. The subcontractors will be affected at one time or another. I remain positive, I think that within two years the pace of work will resume," he nuances however.
Dry layoffs not dismissed
Airbus unions say there is no question of them accepting redundancies, which would be a first for the group. This possibility is not ruled out by the CEO, Guillaume Faury, even if he ensures that the management intends to activate other devices, including the partial long-term activity.
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Wednesday morning, the Secretary of State for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, argued that the state aid systems should make it possible to "save" 2,000 jobs out of 5,000 threatened, including 1,500 thanks to the partial activity of long-term and 500 thanks to the refocusing of certain jobs on the new generation of green aircraft.