Bombardier Aerospace's decision to cut 130 local production jobs is yet another "savage blow" for its Northern Ireland workforce, union leaders have said.
The Canadian aerospace group has indicated that it will reduce its complimentary labour force pool, resulting in the 130 job losses at its Northern Ireland facilities.
It is the second time in less than 12 months that Bombardier has reduced its overall headcount in the North. Last September it announced a jobs reduction programme which resulted in 390 job losses.
Just a month ago, Bombardier Aerospace confirmed plans to reduce its group workforce by 1,000 people in 2015. The job losses are the result of a decision by the aerospace group to "pause" its Learjet 85 business aircraft program because of weak demand.
Belfast was not singled out at the time for any job losses, which will mainly affect Bombardier sites in Querétaro, Mexico, and Wichita in the United States.
Heightened concerns
But
Davy Thompson
, regional co-ordinating officer for Unite, said the group’s latest move heightened concerns about the overall health of the North’s manufacturing sector.
“Unite is disappointed by the scale of job-losses associated with this announcement but we are committed to securing the very best possible terms for all our members affected by this decision,” he said.
“This announcement highlights the adequacy of existing employment protection, in particular for that afforded to agency workers who are making up more and more of the overall Northern Ireland labour force.
“There’s a need for Stormont politicians to get serious on action to improve job security protections for workers, particularly within the manufacturing sector where there is a real risk of ‘de-skilling’.”
He said Unite was particularly concerned about the "cumulative impact" of an ongoing series of job losses at major manufacturers in the North including JTI in Ballymena and Caterpillar (FG Wilson).
“Since 2008, output from Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector has shrunk meaning that many of those highly skilled workers who will lose their jobs will struggle to find employment,” Mr Thompson said.
