Bombardier To Cut 7,500 Jobs

Bombardier has announced it is to cut a further 7,500 jobs as part of a five-year turnaround plan.

Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said the announcement will come as a "great shock" to workers in Northern Ireland.

He said: "I, and my officials in Invest NI, together with colleagues in the UK Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy will continue to engage with Bombardier management both here and in Canada.

"As the company works through the detail of what the impact will be here, we will do absolutely everything we can and take every opportunity available to us to highlight to senior decision makers in the company the strength of Bombardier's Northern Ireland operations and the skills of the workforce. I will do everything I can to fight to save as many Bombardier jobs in Northern Ireland as possible."

Regional Coordinating Officer from Unite the union Davy Thompson said he is deeply concerned the job losses could effect the Belfast workforce.

He said: "The job-losses amount to one-in-ten of their global workforce but there is no further information about what this will mean for Belfast.

"Our members can be assured that Unite will work over the coming period to minimise any potential job-losses here and if necessary we will strive to deliver the best possible outcome for those affected. We can only hope that today's announcement will mean the company is better positioned to achieve long-term growth and safeguard future employment."

Ulster Unionist economy spokesperson Steve Aiken MLA said: "We in Northern Ireland hope that the impact on the aerospace sector, which we have specialised in for so many years, will be minimised.

"The message from Belfast must be that we can deliver for Bombardier. As the Official Opposition at Stormont, we will work constructively with government to ensure that all that can be done, is being done to create a positive business environment for Bombardier and our other major manufacturing employers in Northern Ireland."

(CD)