The hundreds of Wrightbus staff awaiting their fate outside the Ballymena factory this morning have dwindled away as the day, and uncertainty over the firm's future, went on.

One prospective buyer was left in negotiations to save the stricken bus manufacturer and the 1,200 staff made redundant in recent weeks.

Developments throughout today, Thursday 10 October, however have brought no further clarity on whether a deal has been reached.

The Unite union had previously identified land ownership as the main barrier to a sale, however Wrightbus owner Jeff Wright later denied that claim.

Conflicting reports left workers bewildered at the factory gates, while some are sourcing food banks to support their families, the union has said.

"As these negotiations are being dragged out by horse-trading, the feeling of indignation among these workers, whose sole objective is to get back to work, is rising," Unite's George Brash said.

"We understand that an outline deal had been arrived at yesterday but that this morning further changes were made by Jeff Wright which threw the entire negotiations into uncertainty."

English industrialist Jo Bamford was bidding for the company, which is best known for building the London Routemaster buses. It follows the redundancies of all staff two weeks ago when Wrightbus entered administration.

Hopes of a sale and the secured livelihoods of local jobs and industry have all but disappeared throughout the day, despite Unite claiming the deal is not dead yet.

A statement released by Jo Bamford claimed the terms of the sale had been changed at the last minute.

"At 10am this morning I made an offer to the Wright family to match the asking price for the Wrightbus factory and land," the statement read. "This includes a sum to match the amount that the factory and associated land was purchased for two years ago from JTI. Mr Wright has since refused this offer and now asked for a significantly higher sum of money. We want to save this business and put it on a sustainable footing, but regrettably if this offer is not agreed today, we understand that the business will go into liquidation tomorrow."

Mr Wright insisted he had been willing to sell the factory and associated lands but claimed the so-called site dispute involved family-owned farmlands that were unrelated to the firm. He also expressed regret at the failure to secure a deal.

Meanwhile, Unite said their attempts to meet and engage directly with Mr Wright remain unanswered.

"We are calling on all sides, in particular Jeff Wright, to do the right thing and adopt a sensible approach that will open the door to a future for these workers," Mr Brash concluded.



(JG/CM)