10,000 job cuts planned at Airbus says French PM

An Airbus restructuring strategy includes 10,000 job cuts, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said today.

He said his government would oppose any cutbacks in the form of lay-offs.

Mr Villepin told RTL radio: “That is what is envisioned in the plan. But we say – no layoffs. An answer must be found for each person.”

Yesterday, Airbus said an announcement on its long-awaited restructuring plan - called the “Power8” turnaround strategy – had been delayed.

The European aircraft maker called off a works council meeting and news conference at which the strategy was to have been unveiled today, after French and German shareholders of parent company EADS failed to agree on where to build the A350 XWB – a planned rival to Boeing’s mid-size 787.