Talks continue at Shorts

Talks between management at Belfast aerospace company Shorts, and two unions representing the majority of workers are set to continue this week.

The negotiations follow on from strike action taken last week by the 4,500-strong workforce over pay and conditions.

The dispute has been ongoing for over six months between management and union representatives from Amicus and ATGWU.

Both sides met over the weekend but those talks ended, seemingly without resolution.

However, Shorts said today that it believed it had addressed the issues which unions said were the cause of the break down in relations.

Management said that the company's objective was to have full negotiations with all its unions to ensure "a long-term pay settlement that must ensure the company's competitiveness in a very challenging market place".

However, union representatives had claimed that it was company negotiators who abandoned last weekend's talks.

Bombardier, the Canadian parent company of Shorts, has been seeking long-term pay concessions as the sector continues to be badly affected by the slump in the aerospace industry.

The recent round of proposals by management are understood to have included a change in working patterns, introducing an afternoon shift that would have led to the loss of a more lucrative night-time shift.

Trade Minister Ian Pearson has expressed his "concern" over the ongoing saga saying that "whilst both sides in this dispute may have valid concerns, these must not be allowed to damage further the reputation of our largest manufacturer".

(MB)