Airbus

The work stoppages hit the Varel and Nordenham facilities in northern Germany, coming on the same day as industrial action at a plant in the southern city of Augsburg belonging to the parent company EADS. Airbus sought a court injunction against the strikes in Varel and Nordenham.

Reuters reported that Airbus workers at three German plants walked off the job on Wednesday in protest against planned restructuring measures by the European planemaker, the IG Metall labour union said.

After wildcat stoppage last month at factories in Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, the unions (FO, CGC, CFTC and CFDT) could not agree to the latest offer before having taken it directly to the workers.

Hundreds of staff at the Airbus UK factory in north Wales (pictured) downed tools on Friday 23 March, while their union Amicus attempted to get strikers back to work.

The BBC reported:
It is thought many of the 7,000 workers in Broughton, Flintshire, which makes wings for Airbus' flagship A380 passenger jet, are involved.

Trade unions predict tens of thousands of staff at all Airbus sites in Europe will down tools and hold protest meetings to increase pressure against the company's "Power8" restructuring scheme. Such co-ordinated Europe-wide protests organised by trade unions are highly unusual.

Workers in Méaulte have been on strike since midday last Tuesday. After rumours concerning their future some 1,300 Airbus workers and 700 on-site subcontracted employees voted for strike action. Their union, Force Ouvriere, called on them to wait for the official announcement before a strike vote.

The BBC reported that Protests have taken place at Airbus plants for a second day after it announced huge job cuts, while future strike action remains possible.

About 1,000 workers stopped work at the Laupheim plant in southern Germany, in protest at the aviation firm's decision to consider selling the site.