Airbus backs down on office return demands following strikes
Airbus has scrapped plans to limit remote work to one day a week after strikes in Spain, France and the UK. Staff will continue to be able to work from home an average of two days a week.
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has stepped back from plans to tighten restrictions on remote working after a wave of strikes across several countries. According to Reuters, the company had intended to limit home working to one day a week starting in September, but managers have now been told staff can continue working from home an average of two days a week, as before.
Faury's push for office presence
The push to get employees back into the office more often was led by Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury, who told staff in a June memo that while remote work had been valuable during the Covid pandemic, the situation had now reversed, with the company needing employees to share their skills in person. He stressed that Airbus needed to meet record demand and prepare new products after hiring thousands of new staff.
Strikes across multiple countries
In recent months, employees have gone on strike in Spain, France and the UK. In Spain, stoppages have occurred intermittently since July, involving roughly 40% of the company's 14,000 local workers, with grievances including remote working alongside transport, paid leave and salaries. Sporadic protests also took place in France and the UK over plans requiring white-collar staff to work in the office four days a week. Reuters noted, however, that the strikes had not affected Airbus's production, which plays a key role in the European defence industry.
Company response
An Airbus spokesperson said the company's objective remained unchanged — increasing on-site presence to improve collective efficiency, knowledge transfer and faster decision-making. However, based on employee feedback, the company decided to implement the transition more gradually.
