Thousands of Airbus employees in Spain have started an indefinite strike after rejecting management’s latest offer on pay and working conditions. The strike began on 25 August, 2026, following earlier short stoppages and meetings. Workers had already staged warning strikes in July, but compromise proposals were rejected in a companywide vote.
As per reports, unions say around 90 per cent of eligible staff joined the first full day of action, slowing production. Airbus has not confirmed the participation numbers or the impact on aircraft output. The strike covers several issues: wages, holiday scheduling, remote work, employee transport, and the use of the Bradford Factor, a formula that tracks absences. Workers also want guarantees that organisational changes, including those linked to Airbus’s space activities in Spain, will not lead to job losses or weaker conditions. Another demand is fairer pay progression between newer and longer serving employees.
Management offered a package on 21 August that included inflation linked pay rises, an additional increase to restore purchasing power, and talks on other conditions. Airbus also proposed withdrawing a court appeal over sick leave payments and returning money previously deducted. Despite this, employees voted on 24 August to continue with the strike.
Further mediation was scheduled for 27 August, and Airbus submitted another proposal on 26 August, but the strike remained in place. With no fixed end date, the dispute has created uncertainty for production and highlighted the deep divide between management and workers over pay, conditions and job security.
