Airbus staff hold rally over cuts

The day of action is in protest at 1,600 proposed job cuts in the UK

Around 900 workers at the Airbus factory in Flintshire have staged a rally in Chester in protest at the expected loss of hundreds of jobs.

The plane maker is axing 10,000 posts across Europe over four years to cut its costs, with 1,600 going in the UK.

Half the losses are expected at the Broughton site, which makes wings for the A380 superjumbo.

Airbus says its costs are far too high and must be reduced to speed up production and improve competitiveness.

Unions believe the job cuts will be shared equally between the 7,000 staff at Broughton and the Airbus plant at Filton near Bristol.

Around 400 people gathered in Chester town hall, while hundreds more were outside to listen to the meeting through loudspeakers.

Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami, one of the speakers at the "day of action," said: "We need a strong and united approach to this issue.

"The unions are leading a robust fight for long-term job security and I am proud to be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with so many skilled and loyal workers."

Hamburg parade

The meeting was also addressed by Alyn and Deeside AM Carl Sergeant, and Wrexham MP Ian Lucas, who all pledged their support to maintaining a future for Broughton's workforce.

Thousands of Airbus workers in France, Germany and Spain were also stopping work in a series of co-ordinated demonstrations.

Up to 20,000 Airbus staff were expected to parade in Hamburg, home of the company's principal German plant.

Airbus expects the cutbacks to shave 5bn euros off its costs by 2010.

The firm has pledged not to enforce any compulsory redundancies, saying half the cuts will be made among temporary staff and sub-contractors.

In response to the workers' day of action, Airbus said its restructuring "lays the foundation to create a new Airbus, more efficient, fully integrated and supported by a network of partners.

"It will allow Airbus to develop faster, produce at lower cost, share expenses and risks, and thus to better serve its customers."