Twin Jobs' Fears Revealed

There's doubly bad news on employment today as jobs are to be lost at a major manufacturing facility in Co Antrim, while more cuts are expected at Translink in Derry.

The losses are at Nortel's plant in Newtownabbey where last month the telecoms company said it had plans to shed over 3,000 jobs worldwide.

Nortel has now confirmed that it will make 87 people redundant at its plant in Newtownabbey as part of 220 job losses across the UK.

Nortel's UK operation went into administration in January after its parent firm filed for US bankruptcy protection.

About 500 people are employed at the Newtownabbey site, although more than 2,000 people worked there at its peak of success.

It opened in the 1960s as a Standard Telephone and Cables manufacturing facility, which was bought by Nortel in 1992.

The Deputy Chair of the Assembly's Employment and Learning Committee has urged the Minister Reg Empey to put the necessary resources into place to assist Nortel employees facing redundancy.

Robin Newton, the East Belfast DUP MLA said: "For the Nortel employees being made redundant it is important that the Department for Employment and Learning co-operates with Nortel and offers professional staff to provide advice and guidance to those losing their jobs.

"It is vitally important at this early stage that those facing redundancy are made aware of other job opportunities, re-training programmes and benefit entitlements," he commented.

"This requires co-ordination with the company and in previous similar circumstances has proved to be invaluable for the employee."

Meanwhile, 21 jobs are to go at Ulsterbus in Londonderry, a trade union has said.

The T&G section of the trade union Unite said they were informed of the cuts at the Foyle Street depot by the company's management at the weekend.

Translink have said they will seek voluntary redundancies, but have not confirmed where jobs will go.

Elsewhere, around half the workers at Ulster Carpet Mills in Portadown - a total of 200 - have been placed on a four-day week due to the economic recession.

The company said that orders from the home and export markets, especially America, have diminished as the credit crunch bites.

However, a spokesman aid that the company had "a strong base" and no further measures were envisaged in the near future.

See: Minister Meets Translink Unions Over Job Cuts

(BMcC/JM)