This week, trade unions representing aeronautical workers across Europe met in Bordeaux, a major aerospace hub, to discuss challenges faced by the aviation supply chain with special focus on the green and digital transitions and finding possible solutions to ensure a Just Transition for workers.
Participants heard from Alexandre Le Camus, Délégué Général for UIMM Gironde and Landes, who set out sector-specific challenges, such as investment needs, staff shortages and reskilling issues, which are felt more strongly by SMEs in the supply chain than the larger original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The potential for growth and more quality jobs in the aeronautics sector, both in the Gironde region and across Europe, were highlighted, but it was stressed that to ensure that this becomes a reality, concrete actions are required to keep the sector resilient and sustainable, in particular via strengthened cooperation through the value chain.
The conference marked the start of industriAll Europe’s project ‘’Strengthening cooperation through the supply chain for a sustainable transformation of the aviation sector’’ (FLY-SUS), which will include detailed mapping, surveys, interviews and regional workshops, before the final report and its recommendations are presented at a final conference with stakeholders and policymakers in 2026.
Isabelle Barthès, industriAll Europe’s Deputy General Secretary, said:
‘’The role of this European project is clear. The supply chain and its workforce have a crucial role to play in delivering a just green and digital transformation of the aerospace sector. The OEM will not be able to do it alone. The twin transition calls for massive investment in new technologies and people. It also calls for more solidarity along the value chain instead of cost-cutting strategies that pressurise SMEs’ margin and capacity to invest and lead to increased pressure exerted on workers.
“We demand decent and sustainable jobs for all, regardless of company size, and this means social partners throughout the supply chain working together to find common solutions.’’
Participants were presented with initial research findings by Syndex, before engaging in two roundtable discussions on economic pressures and decarbonisation, and the role of social dialogue in both. Participants then visited Bt2i’s site in Eysines to see for themselves the number of high-tech products that can be produced by one aeronautics supplier alone, and to hear about their efforts to attract young people to the sector.
Isabelle Barthès added:
‘’The initial findings of the FLY-SUS project show that the European aviation sector can have a bright and sustainable future, but that the twin green and digital transitions must be properly managed. Specific support is needed to prevent bottlenecks and ensure that SMEs in the supply chain are not left behind. Trade unions stand ready to work with employers, policymakers, VET providers and other relevant stakeholders to make the aviation value chain sustainable, with good industrial jobs for all.”
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