Over 60 jobs will be axed in east Belfast as an American owned valve manufacturer withdraws from Northern Ireland.

Crane Stockham Valve, an industrial valve engineer, employs 89 staff at its plant in the Castlereagh area.

It is set to close its doors at the end of 2021.

Union Unite confirmed that the planned closure will result in 63 redundancies commencing early next year.

The workers have a collective agreement in place which provides for enhanced redundancy pay, however the loss of the roles represents another blow for local manufacturing and the east Belfast economy, the union said.

The closure is down to global competition, market pricing pressures and financial performance in Belfast.

Regional Officer George Brash demanded Stormont intervention as the firm enters a thirty-day consultation period.

Mr Brash said: "When it was last up-and-running, the Northern Ireland Executive refused to bring forward a strategy for the manufacturing sector. The absence of such a strategy – with real actions to defend jobs and skills – left Northern Ireland industry defenceless in a period of mounting challenge. This announcement reinforces the urgency of the newly re-established Executive to reconsider its approach and bring forward a Manufacturing Strategy for Northern Ireland."



(JG/CM)