One of Northern Ireland's main aerospace companies, Bombardier, is to cut almost 400 jobs. Cuts will affect permanent staff and temporary workers and will fall across the Belfast-based business.
Bombardier is a Canadian headquartered firm and produces wings and other parts in Belfast.
A spokeswoman said: “It is right across the company, all areas of the company will be affected.”
The firm will be ending 300 temporary and contract jobs and is seeking 90 redundancies from its permanent workforce. It is one of Northern Ireland’s biggest employers.
About 5,000 permanent employees and approximately 1,000 temporary and contract staff work at the east Belfast base. Across its global operations around 1,800 posts are expected to go as part of a major restructuring, the firm has previously said.
Over the past four years, Bombardier has increased its total Northern Ireland workforce by more than 1,200, primarily through temporary contract jobs, the spokeswoman for the company in Belfast added.
She said: “We regret to confirm that up to 90 Bombardier employees in Northern Ireland are at risk of redundancy. “What we will be doing is lodging a formal redundancy notice with government and a 30-day consultancy period will be held. “That gives us an opportunity to explore means to mitigate compulsory redundancy. In addition we will be releasing up to 300 contractors, temporary workers and members of our complementary workforce.”
The Belfast centre will become part of a new section within Bombardier specialising in the supply and development of composite (made up of several parts) plastic structures like wings or metallic parts. The spokeswoman added: “That will allow us to be more flexible in terms of responding to customer needs.”
Half of the 300 temporary employees who are affected work on the shop floor making the products. Bombardier has faced a series of delays in its work surrounding the new C-series jet project, which is an expansion into the 100-149 seat market.
PA