Pay freeze rejection prompts 1050 job cuts at Shorts

Shorts have announced an accelerated set of cutbacks that will see 1,050 jobs go at the Belfast aerospace company.

According to parent company Bombardier Aerospace, the decision to make cuts at the Belfast sites follows on from a workforce ballot that rejected changes in working conditions and a pay freeze at the plant, a package that was already recommended by union leaders.

Responding to the news of further job losses at Shorts the former NI Assembly Minister, Sir Reg Empey, said: “This represents the most critical moment in the history of the company since it was privatised in 1989.

“I urge the Enterprise Minister to use his influence to ensure that negotiations between the Unions and Management are re-started as soon as possible.

“These job losses represent a further weakening of the aerospace sector in Northern Ireland to a point where it would no longer have the necessary critical mass to survive as a significant force in this global industry.”

Yesterday a spokesperson for Bombardier Aerospace in Belfast said management “deeply regretted” the cuts: “Throughout the past weeks, both the company and the trade unions have endeavoured to explain to all employees the reasons why we must take urgent steps to improve our competitiveness in the current very difficult global market conditions where our customers are being very demanding on pricing.

“An agreement on the proposed wage contract would have helped ensure work would be retained here in Belfast and that job levels would be protected as far as possible. The recent ballot result rejecting the proposal that was recommended by both the unions and management to the workforce, was, therefore, very disappointing.”

“All employees before the ballot were made aware of the consequences for our business if we do not have an agreement in place. We deeply regret that we are forced to make these decisions, but we must take action now to reduce costs in order to hold on to our remaining contracts, and protect our business and the remaining jobs in the longer term.”

It had been hoped that a recent announcement by Bombardier that it had won a contract worth over $2 billion for US Airways for regional jets would safeguard jobs for the remaining workforce, though the order was considered insufficient to prevent 580 redundancies already in the pipeline from being implemented.

However, in a bulletin circulated to staff on Thursday, Shorts announced an accelerated redundancy programme and imminent changes in shift patterns in light of the failure to reach agreement on the pay and conditions package with the Belfast workers.

One of Northern Ireland’s largest employers, Bombardier’s Short Bros plant produces engine nacelles and control surface and fuselage structures for the firm’s regional jets.

The downturn in the aerospace sector following September 11 terrorist attacks has been blamed for a slump in orders for aircraft, despite relatively strong sales of regional jets.

(SP)