BOMBARDIER:
FRESH FEARS OF HUNDREDS MORE JOB LOSSES AT BELFAST FACTORY
HUNDREDS of further job losses are feared at Bombardier in Northern Ireland after it revealed it is cutting another 7,500 staff across the company, slashing around 10% of its workforce.
The Canadian-owned plane maker, which employs around 5,000 people in Belfast, is understood to be cutting a third of the jobs in the aerospace division.
Bombardier’s Belfast operation builds parts of the C Series and Global 7000 jets.
While the company has not said how many Northern Ireland posts will be affected, it’s feared Belfast job losses could run into the hundreds. Around 5,000 of the fresh cuts are due to go outside of Canada.
Bombardier’s main operation here is in Belfast, but it also has factories in Newtownabbey, Dunmurry and Newtownards.
It announced earlier this year it was cutting 1,080 jobs in Northern Ireland over the next two years, and is bringing 700 of those losses forward this year.
It’s thought the remaining 200 or so jobs which have still not been lost as part of the initial cut this year could also be fast-tracked.
Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said he “will do everything I can to fight to save as many Bombardier jobs in Northern Ireland as possible”.
A spokeswoman for Bombardier in Belfast said: “Following the update today by Bombardier Inc on its five-year turnaround plan, we will be evaluating the impact on our Belfast operations and will communicate with our employees when that is completed.
“We are not in a position to elaborate further at this time.”
Last month, the aerospace firm announced that “serious concerns” meant it was likely to rein in production of its flagship passenger jets in Belfast after it was revealed it would be delivering just half the total number of planned C Series passenger aircraft this year.
The wings and part of the fuselage of the jet are made in Belfast.
DUP MP for East Belfast, Gavin Robinson, said: “Staff will be anxious. I think it’s important the company can get as much information as possible, while trying to protect the good work at the Belfast plant.”
He said he hoped unions would be able to liaise with management to discuss the job losses.
Bombardier said it could “partially” mitigate some of the losses by ramping up its flagship C Series passenger jet programme.
Martin Craigs, former marketing executive of Bombardier’s predecessor in Belfast, Short Brothers, told the Belfast Telegraph: “It’s initially alarming for Belfast employees and the Northern Ireland economy but, on further analysis, shows Bombardier are rationalising globally, but depending ever more on making a success of the C Series and the new Global business jet, which are integral parts of the Queen’s Island operation.”
Invest NI chief executive, Alastair Hamilton, stated: “Today’s news will be very upsetting to those working for the company, and their families, especially following on from the announcement made in February.”
Davy Thompson of the Unite union said: “We are deeply concerned that these job- losses could affect the Belfast workforce as it is involved in every Bombardier line of production. The job losses amount to one-inten of their global workforce but there is no further information about what this will mean for Belfast. It is important to note that today’s announcement by the company signals an ongoing ramp-up on its newest aircraft programmes, the C Series and Global 7000, both of which have significant Northern Ireland work content.”
The news comes 24 hours after Manufacturing NI and Unite launched a joint campaign urging the Northern Ireland Executive to adopt an industrial strategy.