Meetings follow Airbus walk outs

Around 900 workers held a protest in Chester earlier this month

Managers at the Airbus factory in Flintshire have started a series of meetings with staff after two more unofficial walkouts at the plant.

Workers who were not on shift when two thirds of the 7,000 Broughton plant's workforce walked out on Friday took action of their own this week.

Workers are angry over 1,600 proposed job cuts in the UK, and other cost-cutting measures by the company.

Airbus said it wanted to correct "misunderstandings" about the cuts.

Workers on the overnight shift on Monday and the morning shift on Tuesday held walk-outs. They face losing pay for any time taken off in the protests.

'Chain of events'

They were described as "a small number" than Friday by the union Amicus, which has repudiated the move.

Last Friday's walk-out was described as a response to a "chain of events," which includes the company cutting 10,000 jobs across Europe.

It has been revealed 1,600 jobs cuts will be made in the UK - feared to be split between Broughton and Filton in Bristol.

There was also anger at Airbus saying its profit-share payments were being halted as part of the cost-cutting drive.

The firm has denied claims that managers will still receive their annual profit-share payments.

The Broughton site makes the wings for the Airbus A380

Phil Swash, Plant Manager at Airbus UK Broughton said management were "preparing to speak with the workforce in further communication sessions in the coming days".

He said the meetings would be to address "concerns".

The company also wanted to stress that "Broughton has been reaffirmed as a core Airbus site and as such is set to see growth in the future as it benefits from around £400m (600m euros) of investment over the next few years".

An Amicus spokesman said: "There were a handful of people who decided to do the same as their mates did last week.

"It's the same walk out (as last Friday's). People work different shifts, they weren't around on Friday.

"I'm not saying they should. The point was made - it if needed to be made - on Friday."

The Broughton site makes wings for Airbus' A380 passenger jet.

Airbus employs around 57,000 people. But as well as the UK job cuts, it plans to lose 4,300 jobs in France, 3,700 in Germany, and 400 in Spain.

On Monday, the new A380 flew into Filton, near Bristol, for a series of tests, and was welcomed by thousands of workers.