11/12/2017

Union Delegation Travels To Montreal To Save Bombardier Jobs In NI

A delegation from Unite the Union have travelled to Montreal to save Bombardier jobs in Northern Ireland.

The announcement was made ahead of the US department of commerce's final determination on whether to put tariffs of 300 per cent on Bombardier C-series passenger jets.

The delegation will take part in a series of meetings with the Chief Executive of Bombardier Alain Bellemare, Canadian politicians and trade unions before travelling to Washington on Wednesday, 13 December.

The second leg of the lobbying push will see the delegation head to Capitol Hill to call on US politicians and the department of commerce to drop the threat of 'crushing' tariffs on C-series planes and determine that Boeing's case is without merit.

Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner, said: "Unite is leaving no stone unturned in our bid to safeguard Bombardier jobs in Northern Ireland and the wider supply chain. It is crucial that the threat of these unjust crushing tariffs are removed.

"Boeing does not produce an aircraft in the same class as Bombardier's C-series and didn't even bid for the Delta contract it is complaining about, which leaves its complaint totally without merit.

"If the US government imposes tariffs and Boeing's bullying wins the day, it will damage Bombardier and destroy UK jobs. It will also threaten thousands of jobs in Bombardier and its supply chain in the USA.

"With the US department of commerce's determination, due on 19 December, we will be bringing pressure to bear in Montreal and Washington, calling for fair play to win the day and get the threat of job destroying tariffs dropped."

(CD/LM)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

09 October 2017
Union Disappointed Over Ruling Against Bombardier
Unite the union is disappointed with the preliminary ruling by the United States' Department of Commerce that recommended additional tariffs of 80% be imposed on Bombardier's C-Series over allegations of price-dumping.
30 October 2015
Investment In Bombardier's CSeries Will Help Safeguard Jobs - Unite
Funding of US$1bn for Bombardier's CSeries from Quebec Provincial Government funding will help safeguard workers jobs in Northern Ireland, according to Unite the union.
01 November 2007
Graduate Skills In Demand
Well-qualified graduates are still very much in demand in the local economy. According to Jean Stirrup, Head of Careers, Employability and Skills at Queen's University, demand from employers continues to rise.
29 January 2018
Bombardier Wins Case With Boeing
Aerospace firm Bombardier has won a case in the US with rival company Boeing which put thousands of jobs in Northern Ireland at risk. A decision was overturned to impose huge 292% tariffs on imports of its C-Series planes. The wings for the C Series are made in NI.
05 March 2003
Bombardier confirm 1,200 Belfast jobs under threat
Bombardier Aerospace in Belfast has confirmed that up to 1,180 jobs are at risk over the next 12 months. The move is part of an overall restructuring of the company with a further 1,800 jobs under threat at its plants in Montreal and Toronto in Canada.