Unions to ballot Airbus Belfast workers on strike over pay dispute

Two trade unions representing workers at the Airbus factory in Belfast are moving toward strike action after pay negotiations broke down. The site, acquired from Spirit AeroSystems in late 2025, manufactures wings and mid-fuselage sections for the A220 programme.

The GMB union says its members have twice rejected pay offers from Airbus. In July, 93% voted against the most recent proposal. A ballot for strike action organised by GMB is scheduled to run from September 2 to September 30. A GMB organiser said the workers, described as skilled, are seeking pay that reflects their role and amounts to a living wage.

Unite, the other union involved, has declined to comment publicly on the dispute. It says it wants to focus on talks with Airbus set for early September before commenting further.

Airbus says it has offered a 7.65% pay increase spread over two years. The company added that it remains committed to continued dialogue with the unions, and that operations at the plant are continuing normally for now.

The dispute comes shortly after Airbus announced plans to expand the Belfast facility to handle higher planned production rates for the A220. Whether a strike will actually go ahead is not yet clear, since both unions' ballot processes and the scheduled talks are still ongoing.