Thousands protest Airbus layoffs in Spain
Thousands gathered Thursday (July 23) to protest against Airbus’s planned layoffs in Spain.
Employees of the aerospace giant gathered outside one of its factories near Madrid.
One worker summed up their case:
"We are protesting because the company, taking advantage of this temporary COVID-19 situation, wants to get rid of around 900 employees of Airbus operations and around 720 of Airbus defense. It's a temporary situation and it will pass so we don't understand why around 1700 people of Airbus Spain have to be fired.”
From the factory they marched about 2 kilometres to Getafe town hall.
There the mayor gave a speech in support of the workers.
Airbus workers at other Spanish plants in Seville and Cadiz joined the protests.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said the government is working with Airbus to find ways to keep jobs in the country.
But so far there’s no word on any progress.
France and Germany will actually take the brunt of the Airbus restructuring.
About 5,000 posts will go in each country.
But job cuts are in increasingly hot issue in Spain.
Protests have also taken place outside Nissan plants there.
That after the Japanese carmaker said it would close three facilities in Catalonia.
