Few workers at Harland & Wolff wanted to speak yesterday after it was announced that over half the workforce would be laid off. At 4.30 p.m., the first men emerged from behind the rotating iron gates. Asked about the impending redundancies, one contractor replied, "What job losses?"
It was apparent that although many had not been told about the announcement, it came as no surprise. What caused annoyance was that reporters knew more than the workers did.
A middle-aged man who did not want to be named was critical of the way the reduction had been leaked to the media yesterday morning but not officially announced until the end of the working day. "The behaviour of senior management has been nothing short of a disgrace; they have told the world and the press before they told us."
While cuts were being made across the entire workforce, "nobody knows if that means them or not," he said. His fiancee had been able to give him a list showing how many jobs would go in each department but this had not been circulated to workers, he said.
With the car-park outside the yard nearly empty, a man in his 60s sat outside waiting to pick up his son but made no comment. He looked around at the derelict buildings on two sides of the concrete square: once the yard's main office had been there, but Harland & Wolff has already shrunk.
A group of three more workers walked to their car. One said the announcement had been expected ever since the yard had put workers on 90 days' notice in March. With these reductions, "the ability to get the work isn't there any more, the ability to even do the work isn't there any more".
For him yesterday's announcement was only another step on a very clear road. "It's going to close."