Airbus retreats on return-to-office push after staff protests

Airbus has softened its push to reduce remote working following protests from unions, including strikes in its Spanish facilities, according to sources familiar with the matter. Initially, the company aimed to force white-collar staff to work on-site four days a week by September, up from the current three. However, the new arrangement allows staff to maintain existing arrangements, with an average of two days a week working from home, effectively suspending the bid for a mandatory one-day limit on-site.

Airbus maintains its objective of increased on-site presence for better collective efficiency, knowledge transfer, and faster decision-making. The transition to this new arrangement will be gradual, based on employee feedback. This change marks a setback for CEO Guillaume Faury's high-profile campaign to draw staff back to the office as the aerospace industry faces record demand and prepares for new products.

Faury previously encouraged employees to support this initiative in a June memo. The Spanish aerospace workforce, accounting for approximately 40% of Airbus's 14,000 workers, has been particularly active in strikes over various issues, including teleworking, transport, paid leave, and salary. Despite not affecting production so far, the Spanish protests have raised concerns within Airbus leadership about handling the situation locally.

The situation underscores the broader struggle of aerospace and other sectors in attracting Gen-Z workers, who prioritize work-life balance over traditional corporate careers, as per recent Deloitte surveys.