The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Layoffs amidst Record Airplane Orders

Apr 25, 2016

The world’s two biggest aircraft makers, Boeing and Airbus, are both laying off workers. Last month, Boeing said it would eliminate 4,000 jobs at its commercial airplane unit. Airbus had already reduced its work force by more than 6,000 over the last three years.

It’s not because orders are down. On the contrary. Boeing has a backlog of about 5,800 planes. Airbus has contracts for more than 6,700 planes. At current rates of production, they could build only 5,400 planes by 2020.

But both companies want to do more work with fewer workers. Working more intensely for longer hours, cutting vacations and holidays: this is the plan of both companies.

It’s the same story in every industry–in order to rip out more profit, the big companies drive up unemployment while driving their own workforce into the ground.

What insanity!