Airbus workes in Spain go on strike. Photo: Sergey Kohl / Shutterstock Thousands of Airbus employees across Spain are taking part in a strike scheduled to run through July 31, 2026, with workers citing what they describe as a steady deterioration in working conditions over recent years. The industrial action was called by the Independent Union of Aviation Professionals (SIPA) and has spread from the company's Getafe facility near Madrid to other Airbus sites across the country.
According to SIPA, the dispute centers on several workplace issues, including salary increases that have failed to keep pace with inflation, the introduction of the Bradford Index attendance monitoring system, reduced teleworking opportunities, and the unilateral scheduling of employee vacations without negotiations between staff and managers. The union also raised concerns about conditions within Airbus Space.
The latest strike follows similar labor unrest in France last month over changes to the company's remote-working policy.
The strike was officially launched by SIPA on July 1 and has since gained support from additional unions. However, CCOO, Airbus' largest union in Spain, has not joined the current action. Instead, it has warned that it will begin an indefinite strike on September 7 if negotiations fail to resolve workers' concerns.
"If no agreement is reached, delivery schedules will be seriously affected by the strike and the industrial action taking place during the final four months of the year at all Airbus Spain sites," CCOO said in a statement.
Airbus employs more than 14,000 people across eight facilities in Spain, where it manufactures military transport aircraft, commercial aircraft components, and satellites. The Getafe plant near Madrid is the company's third-largest site worldwide.