Business Week yesterday had an interesting article that indicates all is not well at Airbus. The article claims that tensions between the French and German operations at Airbus are running high, with workers in each country complaining they are suffering disproportionately as the company restructures.News of the GAO decision to rebid the Air Force tanker contract has only made matters worse. The roots of the problem are many but Business Week lists the latest grievances:
French employees are grumbling that 2,000 Germans — brought to Airbus’s Toulouse, France, factory two years ago as “temporary” workers to fix problems on the troubled A380 aircraft program – are still there.The article goes on to state that such in fighting has only deepened "the gloom at Airbus and its parent, the European Aeronautics Defence & Space Co".
The French also say they are bearing the brunt of the so-called Power 8 restructuring plan to slash $7.5 billion in operating costs by 2010. As of March 31, Airbus’s German operations had achieved only 23% of their cost reduction target, while the French operations had achieved 39%.
The Germans, meanwhile, are unhappy because some work on aircraft cabins, until now done at a factory in Hamburg, has been shifted to Toulouse.
Maybe we were too harsh in our commentary of the Air Force lawyers use of a quote from Lincoln. While not from the Cooper Union Address, the Lincoln quote, "A house divided against itself cannot stand," would be very appropriate.
Also, we hear some of the German workers have begun calling Thomas Enders, German CEO of Airbus, Uncle Tom instead of the more chummy Major Tom for his siding with the French. Whatever the cause, all is not well in Airbus's cabin.
Also, speaking of pent-up hostility, someone sent us a photo of a new Mobile billboard.(The company that put it up reportedly sells chicken fingers.) TAnchorman is on vacation right now, but we are sure he would have something to say to KC-30 supporters about keeping it classy if he were here.
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6 comments:
Considering that Boeing has Operations in Mobile it really goes to show just how classy people are in Mobile. Northrop talks all kinds of Hype about there Ethics policy, I think they need to go to the drawing board
Boeing has operations in Huntsville, AL.
That sign has nothing to do with Northrop, it's a business totally unrelated.
It also looks like somebody needs to go back to school and learn the difference between "there" and "their"; I'm looking at you first post...
The "foosackly's" company should offer its finger to the USAF. It's the USAF that needs the help in counting.
That's right Foosacklys doesn't just "reportedly" sell chicken fingers...that's ALL they sell, besides toast, french fries, and SWEET TEA.
The Ethic Policy is real forcing it on Foosacklys isn't, beside we all know tankerblog and TAnchorman are all one in the same, classy you'll need lesson first.
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