Airbus unions in France and Germany are awaiting details of the company's Power8 restructuring plan before deciding on further industrial action.

Thousands of workers led by union IG Metall held a protest at Airbus sites across Germany on 2 February over the possibility of job cuts, while in France, workers at Airbus's Toulouse headquarters and four other locations staged a 1h strike last week to "show their determination to combat the drastic social measures contained in Power8".

France's Force Ouvrière union says it is waiting for details of the Power8 restructuring plan that chief executive Louis Gallois is expected to reveal on 20 February before deciding whether to take further industrial action.

The works council at Airbus's site in Hamburg has warned employees that as many as 8,000 German jobs could be lost.

EADS shareholder DaimlerChrysler has finalised its long-awaited plan to cut its stake from 22.5% to 15%. The car manufacturer is placing its stake in a new company in which a consortium of German public and private investors is taking a third. DaimlerChrysler maintains its existing voting rights.




Source: Flight International