FURTHER JOBS LOSSES IN TEXTILES SECTOR

COUNTY Tyrone textiles company Herdman Mills, is to scale down operations at its Sion Mills plant, with the loss of 85 jobs for the Strabane area.

The Transport and General Workers' Union have confirmed the job losses following the news that weekend shifts are to cease at the flax spinning company. Jimmy Quinn of the Transport and General Workers' Union, added: "I think people had an idea things were not good but they didn't realise that it was going to be total closure and that there was going to be a knock-on effect in Sion Mills."

In addition, the company's factory at Ballybofey in County Donegal is to close, with the loss of all 170 jobs.

The announcement forms the latest setback for Northern Ireland's textile industry, which is currently experiencing difficulties due to overcapacity in the European market, cheaper overseas imports and changing fashions.

In January this year, carpet yarn manufacturers Regent Spinning Company was forced to make over 70 workers redundant at its Newtownards plant, while only weeks later, clothing company Cooneen Textiles closed its Enniskillen factory, with the loss of 90 jobs, following the cancellation of orders by a UK high street retailer.

Fermanagh’s economy as a whole has been hardest hit by recent adverse developments in the local textiles industry, coupled with the financial fall-out of the foot-and-mouth crisis on the area’s food production sector.

(CL)