Airbus reverses four-day office mandate following worker protests

Airbus has abandoned plans to mandate a four-day office week for many of its office-based employees following significant industrial action and protests across Europe. The company had intended to implement the policy in September, which would have reduced remote work from an average of two days per week to just one.

The decision to retain existing hybrid arrangements follows weeks of protests in France and substantial strikes in Spain, where approximately 40% of the company’s 14,000 workers participated in actions regarding teleworking, pay, and leave. Sporadic protests were also reported in Britain.

CEO Guillaume Faury had previously advocated for increased on-site presence to facilitate collaboration, creativity, and the transfer of knowledge, noting that roughly one-third of the workforce has joined the company since the COVID-19 pandemic. An Airbus spokesperson stated that while the objective of increasing on-site presence remains, the company has decided to implement the transition more gradually based on employee feedback.