Airbus workers in Germany gear up for industrial action

Berlin - Workers at two of the German plants earmarked by Airbus for disposal began preparing for industrial action Thursday to press demands to be kept open. The main trade union involved, IG Metall, called on the German government to guarantee the future of the plants at Varel and Laupheim. The head of the union in northern Germany, Jutta Blankau, said IG Metall would not accept closure. 'The issue is not final yet,' she said. 'We believe there is no need to take such stringent measures, because Airbus cannot be compared with other cases of restructuring,' Blankau said in reference to the programme of cutbacks announced by Airbus in Toulouse, France, on Wednesday. Workers at Varel did not begin the morning shift. 'We are not on strike. We're fighting to keep jobs,' works council member Juergen Bluemel said. Airbus announced it planned to dispose of the plant, which has a workforce of 1,350. Workers at Laupheim called a rally at the plant's gates. Airbus also plans to dispose of that plant, which employs 1,200 workers. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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