A PLAID Cymru councillor whose father works at Airbus is calling for a united front to protect jobs and support workers.

Councillor Carrie Harper, who represents the Queensway ward in Wrexham, has asked people to sign a pledge calling on the UK Government to provide similar support to that seen in Germany and France to implement a shorter working week.

"If there’s public money available to paint the Union Jack on aeroplanes, then there should be money for the people who build them," she said, referring to near £1m makeover of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plane.

The formerly military grey RAF Voyager was painted white and given a new Union flag on the tailfin with "United Kingdom" written in gold lettering on the fuselage.

Last month, Downing Street said the work would cost "around £900,000" and would enable the plane to better represent the UK.

The pledge comes in the wake of the announcement that 1,435 jobs are at risk at Broughton's Airbus plant due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global aerospace and airline industries.

Other companies that supply Airbus, such as Magellan Aerospace in Llay and Metal Improvement Company (MIC) based at Hawarden Airport, are also looking to reduce jobs to deal with the current economic climate.

The pledge reads: "The recent announcement of 1,435 job losses at Airbus in Broughton will have a huge impact on Wrexham, Flintshire and local supply chains.

"Many who work at Airbus are devastated by this news. They are looking for leadership. The French and German Governments responded instantly to the Airbus announcement and put in place a two-year scheme to implement a shorter working week, along with a Government top-up for workers to make up the shortfall.

"We need such a scheme here and we need it now.

"We call for a united front to demand this same level of intervention for Airbus workers. Every one of these jobs matters.

"If it can be done for the bankers, it can be done for Broughton workers. If it can be done for the steel industry, it can be done for aviation. If there’s public money available to paint aeroplanes with the Union Jack, then there should be money for the people who build them.

"We need everyone to stand up and fight for north-east Wales.

"Please sign this pledge and show you're on board."

Cllr Harper also backed the trade union campaign calling on people to write to their MPs to lobby the UK Government. She has also written an open letter to Wrexham's Welsh Conservative MP Sarah Atherton.

The pledge can be viewed at: https://www.wrexhamplaid.cymru/airbus_jobs