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Five-week Quebec Safran strike contributes to aircraft supply-chain troubles

A fiveweek strike by Montrealarea Safran SA workers who make landinggear elements utilized in Boeing and Airbus jets reveals no indications of resolution as planemakers state supplychain snags are hindering production.

Employees picketed on Tuesday outside the factory in Mirabel, Quebec, where Safran has been running operations using workers who are not striking, a business representative said.

The aerospace market has actually been beset by supply problems for months. European aerospace giant Plane on Monday reduced its forecast for shipments this year to around 770 jets from 800 and postponed a multi-year walking in narrowbody production, blaming shortages of engines and other parts, consisting of landing equipment.

Because June 12, Paris-based Safran and the union have remained in conciliation, a process by which labor disagreements are solved in Canada. The 2 sides are far from a resolution, with Safran stating it has actually made its final deal.

Safran has used a 14.5% raise over three years, while workers represented by the Confederation des syndicats nationaux union want an approximated 22% salary hike.

We have demands that we have actually made known given that the start, said union regional president Michael Durand.

He stated the union has actually asked Quebec's labor ministry to examine the plant for making use of non-managers and non-unionized employees to make parts. Under Quebec law, managers can work during a strike.

Safran stated the company's deal is competitive offered the practices of other aerospace companies in the Montreal area.

Christian Scherer, who took over as head of Airbus's. planemaking department in January, informed German paper Hamburger. Abendblatt that materials of engines, landing equipment and cabin. elements are key issue areas.

The Safran workers produce parts utilized for the assembly of. landing equipment at a rate of about 10 to 14 units a week for. Airplane's A320 family, Durand stated. Other Safran factories also. produce the same parts.

(source: Reuters)