Two trade unions representing workers at the Airbus plant in Belfast are to be balloted for strike action in a dispute over pay, FlightGlobal reported on 26 August 2026. The Northern Irish factory produces wings and mid-fuselage sections for the A220 programme, making it one of the most strategically sensitive sites in the Airbus commercial aircraft supply chain.
Workers represented by the GMB and Unite unions will now vote on industrial action after rejecting the company's latest pay offer. The GMB says its members have turned down two pay offers from Airbus, most recently in July, when 93% voted against the proposal. The union's strike ballot runs from 2 to 30 September.
"Clearly, they are sending a message to their employer that what's currently on the table simply isn't good enough," said Alan Perry, GMB senior organiser. "These are skilled workers who deserve to be paid a real living wage that reflects their role."
Unite declined to comment, citing talks with the company scheduled for early September. Airbus, for its part, says it has proposed a 7.65% pay increase over two years, adding: "We are committed to ongoing dialogue with the trade unions and business continues as usual right now."
The timing matters because of what Belfast builds. Airbus acquired the plant from Spirit AeroSystems in late 2025, bringing A220 wing production in-house after years in which the site sat outside the airframer's direct control. The facility's resin-transfer-infusion composite wing is unique within the Airbus portfolio, and there is no straightforward second source for it.
Airbus recently announced an expansion of the Belfast factory to cope with planned higher A220 build rates. The A220 family has become one of the strongest sellers in the 100- to 150-seat segment, and Airbus has been working steadily to lift monthly output. Any sustained disruption at Belfast would feed directly into that ramp-up rather than being absorbed elsewhere in the network.
A ballot is not the same as a strike. September's talks between Unite and the company could yet produce a revised offer, and the GMB ballot result will not be known until the end of the month. Airbus has previously settled comparable UK pay disputes at its Broughton and Filton sites after ballots were called.
For now, the practical position is unchanged: Belfast is still building wings, and Airbus says business continues as usual. What has shifted is the leverage, and both unions have made clear they are prepared to test it.
Sources: FlightGlobal. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Marco Bianchi.
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