Rising results…

On Thursday 15 February, Airbus released its financial results for 2023. For the third year in a row, shareholders will receive a dividend of €2.2 billion, up 55%.

For commercial aircraft, the order book is at record highs: 2094 new orders in 2023, i.e. 8,598 aircraft to be produced, i.e. more than 11 years of activity at current rates.

For helicopters, Airbus remains the leading civil manufacturer. The CGT will be vigilant about the establishment of a production chain in India where social and environmental standards are not at the level of those in Europe.

It is unfortunate that Airbus’ management only analyses the results of the Defence and Space Division from the point of view of profits, which nevertheless remain positive (€229 million). This division is growing in terms of revenues (+2%) and order book, but it is paying for the lack of investments

Boeing is in serious crisis due to a lack of investment to develop new products, with problems of non-quality. Airbus is taking the same path, but its priority objective remains short-term: cash generation for shareholders, with an increase in production rates and an increase in workloads and overtime for employees.

The CGT is calling for a long-term strategy, including on the environmental front, that is not limited to the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).

… thanks to the employees!

These excellent results are not the result of chance, but the result of the work of hundreds of thousands of employees of the Airbus Group and the supply chain.

On the other hand, Airbus’ financial policy illustrates once again that capital has a cost. A financial cost for the company: more than €2 billion squandered on dividends.

This is a social cost, as the benefits are also due to the fall in wages in recent years. While employees in the aeronautics sector have been raised on average well below inflation, the sector is struggling to recruit: the impact on aircraft deliveries is visible.

This is a societal cost because it is the contributions on wages that finance social security. Increasing salaries at Airbus means increasing retirement pensions and providing better care for everyone.

The CGT is demanding wage increases to cope with inflation and recognise the acquisition of new skills by employees, as well as hiring plans and investments to improve working conditions and secure the future.

Wage negotiations at Airbus begin on 19 February. We demand as much generosity from Airbus employees as Airbus does from shareholders.

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CGT union of Airbus Commercial Aircraft