Briefing
Madrid, 4 September 2026 — Spain’s Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, announced on Friday a so-called agreement in principle, or preliminary agreement, between Airbus and the four unions ATP, Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), SIPA and UGT announced. Airbus chairman Guillaume Fauryalso attended the meeting at the ministry. According to the ministry and several news agencies, the proposed agreement provides for restoring lost purchasing power above the rate of inflation, as well as improvements to work organisation, including clearer rules on teleworking and better catering provision. No official signatures had been given at the time of the announcements; the agreement still has to be submitted to the relevant bodies and, where applicable, employees for a vote.
The composition of the meeting was contentious: the Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) and the Unión de Trabajadores Independientes y Libres (ÚTIL) were not admitted to the meeting, according to the sources involved, and criticised their exclusion. Hereu said it had not been a negotiating meeting in the strict sense, but a consolidation of the proposal presented by the company with those representatives who supported this approach. However, representatives of UGT and other unions told the media they had described the absence of the two organisations as problematic, while also pointing out that no final agreement had yet been signed.
The labour dispute at Airbus in Spain has affected several plants for weeks; the strikes entered an indefinite phase on 25 August 2026. According to consistent reports, ATP, CCOO, SIPA and UGT together represent an overwhelming majority of elected employee representatives, which is why the government and the company see the agreement reached as a way to stabilise production and employment at the Spanish sites. Whether the measures will bring the strikes to an end now depends on internal votes and possible further decisions by the excluded unions. A final collective agreement with legally binding signatures is still outstanding.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).