US aviation giant Boeing sent out its first layoff notices on Monday as part of a previously announced plan to reduce its global workforce by 10 percent.

Boeing plans to cut nearly 2,200 jobs in the US state of Washington, home to many of its oldest factories, according to a statement released on Monday.

In the United States, companies are required by law to submit a “WARN” (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) to local authorities 60 days before any layoff.

In its notice, Boeing said it plans to begin permanent layoffs starting Dec. 20. In total, 2,199 people will be affected.

The group is plagued by production quality problems and has just suffered a strike lasting more than 50 days which paralyzed two crucial factories.

On October 12, Boeing revealed plans to reduce its global workforce by 10% over the coming months, without providing further details.

Boeing employees numbered some 170,000 at the end of last year, including nearly 67,000 in Washington state, where the company was founded and where it produces its best-selling line of 737 planes , as well as the 777, 767 and several military aircraft. planes.

Its plants in Renton and Everett, located near Seattle, were recently hit by a strike involving more than 33,000 members of the local branch of the International Association of Machinists (IAM), who were negotiating over wages and conditions of work.

“As previously announced, we are adjusting our workforce to align with our financial reality and a more targeted set of priorities,” a company spokesperson told AFP.

According to Boeing, most of the employees who received notice of layoffs this week will leave the company in mid-January. Benefits and health insurance will then continue to be paid for up to three months.

According to WARN notices released Monday, the aviation giant also intends to lay off 50 employees in Oregon and 63 in Colorado.

In South Carolina, where the 787 Dreamliner factory is located, 220 people are expected to lose their jobs in January.

Boeing employs thousands of workers at these three sites.

The engineers’ union SPEEA (Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace) was informed Thursday evening that 438 of its members would be laid off, according to a spokesperson.

The union has more than 19,000 members in the United States, about 16,500 of whom work for Boeing.