Workers going on strikes constantly all over the world for different reasons and most are very concerning. This strike is yet to happen but Airbus workers in the UK are planning to go on strike for 10 days starting in early September.
Of course saying you want to go on a strike these days is risky because people are seeking job opportunities you have but some situations are so terrible and the bosses are very much aware, only thing is they wouldn't care much since it's allowed and they're in profits.
These are the people who build the wings for airplanes. Without them, Airbus wouldn’t have anything to sell now would it?
But these days, even when playing such an important role, you can still be underpaid and undervalued and that's exactly what's happening to them. It’s the same story we’ve seen across so many industries, the workers do the real work and the companies keep the real profits.
According to the trade union Unite, over 3,000 aircraft fitters and engineers voted overwhelmingly 90% to strike. That's almost all of them so it's that bad because people don’t vote to strike unless they’re really fed up. Going on strike would mean losing pay and dealing with stress, so it’s not something workers take lightly.
They’re only doing this because Airbus has refused to offer them a fair raise, even though inflation in the UK is going up and the cost of living keeps getting worse.
But just like most big companies they have claims and statements that suggests the workers are either overreacting or not telling the truth or not being grateful. Airbus says they’ve already given over 20% in pay raises across the last three years and even handed out a £2,644 bonus earlier this year.
I cannot say they're lying, I don't work there, but let’s be real, that doesn't mean much when prices are rising every month. It's a collective problem of the nations and the companies.
Food, rent, fuel and bills aren’t going down and these things are needed on a daily. A bonus is nice and fair, but it doesn’t fix the problem long term. The real solution is fair wages that actually keep up with inflation.
The thing is Airbus is making billions of dollars. They’re not struggling, they’re not on the verge of collapse. They have the money to pay their workers properly, they’re just choosing not to. Instead, they’d rather risk production delays and strikes than share more of the wealth with the people who keep the company running. That's the problem with companies in the world, more money for the owners and those that make the system work get the barest minimum.
The executives are probably sitting in offices far away from the factory floor, earning massive salaries and bonuses while the engineers and fitters fight for a raise that can help them go through life enough to work for the rich guys. Corporate greed, plain and simple.
Whenever I hear about a strike, I am not quick to judge and think they're overreacting, it takes quite a level of frustration to get someone to risk making a bold move like that so usually it's justified and I just hope they get the raise their looking for, which they shouldn't have needed to ask in the first place, they deserved raises.
I hope they keep pushing until Airbus gives them what they deserve. For most of these tech and transportation companies, the future is a bit scary when I consider the fact that machines are evolving to replace them. I bet these executives have already thought about it and that's why they care less and less.
Regardless of the future, for now, I think that a fair pay is not a luxury, it’s a basic right. Without workers, Airbus is nothing. A company is not a company without the workers.
News article I read this from and also screenshot was taken from the same page
Screenshot
