- Airbus reached preliminary deal with Spanish unions to end weeks of indefinite strikes
- The proposal requires submission to the entire Spanish workforce for a binding referendum vote
- Unions backing the deal represent more than 80pc of workers at Airbus Spain
- The strike began with intermittent stoppages in July escalating to indefinite strike on 25 August 2026
- Spanish facilities manufacture components for A320, A330, and A350 families
Airbus has reached a preliminary deal with four Spanish labour unions to potentially end weeks of indefinite strikes that disrupted aircraft production, with the newly signed “proposal of understanding” representing a significant breakthrough reached following a multi-party meeting mediated by the Spanish Industry Ministry. The preliminary agreement requires submission to the entire Spanish workforce for a binding referendum vote.
The unions backing the new proposal represent more than 80pc of workers at Airbus Spain, with core terms including wage increases and the recovery of lost purchasing power on top of inflation-linked wage increases, workplace enhancements addressing mobility, canteen services and flexibility, and improvements in working conditions including salary increments, transport allowances into base pay, and shift bonuses. The industrial action began with intermittent stoppages in July and escalated into an indefinite strike on 25 August 2026, involving thousands of workers across multiple manufacturing facilities.
Spanish facilities manufacture key components such as horizontal stabilisers and tail cones used across major aircraft families including the A320, A330, and A350. The proposal has received formal backing from Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, Chief HR Officer Carmen-Maja Rex, and Airbus Spain President Francisco Javier Sanchez Segura, alongside representatives from the UGT, ATP, CCOO, and SIPA unions.
Airbus shared “The proposal of understanding represents a significant breakthrough following a multi-party meeting mediated by the Spanish Industry Ministry“
