Airbus Spain has proposed linking salary increases to inflation in an effort to avert an indefinite strike scheduled to begin on Monday, August 24.
The European aerospace manufacturer informed its workforce through an internal communication that it submitted a new negotiation proposal to trade union representatives, as Spanish extrajudicial mediators scheduled a critical meeting for Friday, August 21.
Company management was unable to meet on Thursday, August 20, with the three trade unions leading the strike call, after representatives from the General Workers' Union (UGT), the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), and ÚTIL declined to attend a session convened by Spain's Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA).
The three boycotting unions justified their absence by claiming they had received no new offer from Airbus management to evaluate. However, Airbus stated in its internal memo that it had submitted a comprehensive proposal to SIMA and worker representatives on Wednesday morning, August 19, outlining key areas open for ongoing dialogue.
In contrast, representatives from Workers' Commissions (CCOO), SIPA, and ATP did attend Thursday's SIMA session. Those three unions had previously reached a preliminary agreement with Airbus management in late July, but the deal was subsequently rejected by workers in a narrow referendum vote.
Proposed changes to pay and working conditions
In its internal memorandum, Airbus Spain stated it is prepared to maintain an open dialogue regarding the linking of wage increases to Spain's Consumer Price Index (IPC) and shortening the timeframe for employees to recover lost purchasing power while ensuring social and operational stability.
Management emphasized that the shared challenge facing both sides is to jointly define a balance that guarantees salary recovery without compromising the competitiveness of Airbus manufacturing plants in Spain or damaging individual salary increases and professional promotions.
Airbus also committed to preserving its current remote working policy and existing individual employment agreements, seeking the best collaborative framework for its teams while maintaining traditional vacation scheduling procedures across its Spanish facilities.
The company further proposed opening dialogue for positions deemed objectively compatible with flexible working, respecting organizational, productive, and security requirements. Regarding manufacturing operations at its Cádiz plant in Andalusia, Airbus committed to analyzing compliance with existing agreements and future workload requirements to guarantee acquired commitments.
As part of the negotiation package, Airbus announced it will withdraw its cassation appeal currently before the Social Chamber of the Supreme Court regarding the Bradford System. The system is an administrative formula used by human resources departments to measure worker absenteeism, and withdrawing the legal appeal allows unions and management to negotiate an alternative framework.
The new proposal guarantees full respect for labor conditions under applicable regulations and commits management to advance national-level dialogue with sufficient notice regarding Project Bromo. Project Bromo is an industrial consolidation initiative aimed at combining the space business divisions of Airbus, French defense group Thales, and Italian aerospace manufacturer Leonardo.
Additional subjects offered for negotiation include factory canteens and social services, collective bus transport routes, working hour flexibility, the catalog of standard job roles, and a comprehensive resolution to the overall labor dispute.
Friday mediation and union response
Airbus maintained that its latest proposal demonstrates a clear willingness to negotiate and move toward common ground before the strike deadline. Following Thursday's boycott by three unions, CCOO confirmed that SIMA has summoned all parties to a renewed mediation session on Friday.
UGT confirmed its intention to attend Friday's meeting. Edmundo Otero, the general secretary of UGT at Airbus, explained that the union will participate because it considers the SIMA mediation framework resulting from the strike notice to be the correct forum to achieve understanding and arrive at a resolution to the conflict.
Otero added that UGT delegates want to determine whether management possesses a genuine willingness to respond to all worker demands set out in the official strike document, which was constructed based on claims from Airbus Spain employees.
