This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/north_west/6037990.stm

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Unions demand Airbus assurances Airbus MD briefs Broughton unions
(1 day later)
Union officials have been meeting managers at Airbus in Broughton, Flintshire, to demand assurances over the plant's future. The head of Airbus UK was meeting union leaders at the company's Flintshire plant on Wednesday to brief them on cost-cutting plans.
The routine weekly meeting was expected to be dominated by staff's fears, after the new Airbus chief executive warned of "painful" job losses. Staff from Filton in Bristol were also attending the meeting with UK managing director Iain Gray at Broughton.
Louis Gallois said the cuts would take place in France and Germany following delays to the A380 superjumbo. Airbus plans massive spending cuts and has warned of "painful" job losses in France and Germany due to delays in production of its A380 superjumbo.
But unions want clarification over the future of Broughton's 7,000 workers. Union leaders hope the cuts will have a "minimal" effect at Broughton.
The meeting at Broughton - where the A380's wings are made - went ahead on Tuesday afternoon, despite another meeting between the company and unions being cancelled in England. They said the contents of Wednesday's briefing would remain confidential.
Union officials had been due to hold talks at the company's British headquarters in Filton, Bristol, to discuss the UK-wide situation. It followed another meeting at Broughton on Tuesday between union officials and management.
But the meeting was called off following the resignation of Airbus's chief executive on Monday.
Louis Gallois warns of tough times ahead for Airbus workersLouis Gallois warns of tough times ahead for Airbus workers
Christian Streiff was quickly replaced by Louis Gallois, who announced within hours of his appointment that a recovery plan would involve job losses. Both the union and the company said that meeting was "routine," and neither party confirmed what was discussed.
'Speculation' Wednesday's briefing from Mr Gray follows Airbus's announcement that the A380 programme is two years behind schedule.
He said production of the A380 double-deck superjumbo, which can carry more than 550 passengers, would be delayed by two years. New chief executive Louis Gallois succeeded Christian Streiff, who resigned on Monday, and warned of tough times ahead for Airbus workers
Speaking after Tuesday's meeting was cancelled in England, Bernie Hamilton, national officer of Amicus, said: "We have asked for an alternative date to be set as a matter of urgency. An Airbus spokeswoman said consultations on an eight-point re-structuring programme were taking place throughout the company and Wednesday's meeting was part of the regular communications process involving the unions.
"We are also concerned about the level of comment and speculation being given on potential job losses and will be demanding clarity from the company on their plans affecting manufacturing in the UK." The shake-up is expected to involve major job losses at Airbus factories in Germany and France, but union leaders are hoping for no more than a freeze on recruitment at Broughton.
Last week it was revealed that production of the A380's wings had almost ground to a halt at Broughton while Airbus addresses delays in production - caused elsewhere within the company.
Most of the staff working on the A380 wings have been shifted to other models.