Bombardier cuts almost 300 jobs days after Airbus rescue
A FURTHER 280 job losses at Bombardier, the North’s largest private employer, will “not be easy” to replace, it’s been claimed.
The Canadian-owned aerospace and transportation company – which employs around 4,000 workers in the North – was dealt yet another blow yesterday.
The redundancies come a week after Airbus stepped in to rescue Bombardier’s troubled C Series airliner programme.
Bombardier is engaged in a transatlantic trade war with US rival Boeing, which could result in it facing 300pc tariffs on planes sold to America.
Those hit by the fresh job losses in Belfast include functional support personnel, including managers and professional staff.
“Unhappily, job losses in well-established engineering businesses have been an- nounced,” economist John Simpson said. “Replacing lost jobs has become a logical aspiration but, with so many current uncertainties, will not be easy. Businesses across the UK are facing inevitable worries about the possible outcome of the Brexit negotiations.”
A spokeswoman for Bombardier said: “Following the 7,500 global workforce reductions announced by Bombardier Inc last October, we continue to review our manpower requirements in Belfast and regret to confirm that we must reduce our workforce levels by around 280.
“Those impacted will be functional support personnel, including managers and professional staff.
“We acknowledge the impact this will have on our workforce and their families and we continue to explore opportunities to help mitigate the number of compulsory redundancies.
“However, we need to continue to cut costs and improve the efficiency of our operations to help ensure our long-term competitiveness.”
Over the last two years Bombardier has cut more than 1,000 jobs.
Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing Northern Ireland, said the “news of further jobs losses in manufacturing comes as a bitter blow first for the workers but also for our wider ambitions to build a stronger economy with more and better jobs”.