Airbus is facing the prospect of a global production slowdown after workers at its flagship UK site voted overwhelmingly to strike in a dispute over pay.
More than 3,000 members of the Unite union at the Broughton plant in North Wales – which builds wings for all Airbus commercial jets – will stage a 10-day walkout next month unless agreement is reached. The site is a crucial cog in Airbus’s global supply chain, supplying components to assembly lines in France, Germany, the US and China.
The union has warned that the action could “bring jet production to a standstill” at a time when Airbus is under pressure to ramp up output and work through a record backlog of orders. Airbus delivered 735 aircraft last year and is targeting at least 820 deliveries in 2025, with plans to reach 75 aircraft per month of its best-selling A320neo family by 2027.
The industrial action follows months of negotiations between management and the union. Airbus tabled a 3.6 per cent rise for 2025 followed by 3.15 per cent in 2026 – an offer accepted by more than 3,000 white-collar staff – but Unite rejected the deal in favour of a one-year settlement.
Airbus subsequently offered a 3.3 per cent increase this year, with a further 0.3 per cent from January, alongside a £200 top-up payment. Unite members rejected the revised package, insisting that any deal must reflect the cost of living, inflationary pressures and what the union described as the “specialised skills” of the workforce.
Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, said: “Airbus is generating billions in profit. Our members are simply seeking fairness, not favours. This workforce is vital to Airbus’s success, and they will not be short-changed.”
Airbus pointed to previous settlements that have delivered a 20 per cent cumulative pay increase over the past three years, plus bonuses of more than £13,000, including a £2,644 payout in April.
Sue Partridge, Airbus UK’s head of commercial aircraft, said: “Our priority remains to find a resolution together with the trade union that ensures the long-term competitiveness and success of Airbus in the UK.”
The strike is scheduled to begin on 2 September and will also involve a few hundred Unite members at Airbus’s Filton site near Bristol, which manufactures wings for the A400M military transport aircraft.
Analysts said that while Airbus traditionally builds up a reserve of completed wings during its annual two-week summer shutdown, prolonged disruption could ripple across its global network. With rival Boeing still recovering from quality-control crises and its own strike action last year, any production delays at Airbus could undermine its dominant position as the world’s largest planemaker.
The Broughton dispute comes at a sensitive time for the French-headquartered group, which is balancing a record commercial backlog with pressure from airlines to deliver jets on time. With global carriers forecasting strong demand for new, fuel-efficient aircraft, a bottleneck in wing production could leave Airbus exposed to missed delivery targets.
Unite has said it remains open to talks, but insists its members’ demands must be met. “This strike is avoidable,” a union source said. “But Airbus must come back with a deal that properly values the people whose skills keep its production lines moving.”
