Business

490 jobs to go at Bombardier in Belfast

490 jobs are set to go at Bombardier in Belfast, the company has confirmed
490 jobs are set to go at Bombardier in Belfast, the company has confirmed 490 jobs are set to go at Bombardier in Belfast, the company has confirmed

AEROSPACE giant Bombardier in Belfast is shedding another 490 jobs from its core workforce as part of a cost-cutting exercise and to help ensure its long-term competitiveness.

It represents more than 10 per cent of its current Northern Ireland workforce, and comes a fortnight after the company - which has 70,000 staff globally - revealed it wanted to cut 5,000 positions.

In a statement Bombardier said: “Following the global workforce adjustments announced by Bombardier Inc. on November 8, we have reviewed our manpower requirements in Belfast and regret to confirm that we must reduce our workforce across the company by 490 employees.

“We acknowledge the impact this will have on our workforce and their families and we continue to explore opportunities to help mitigate the number of compulsory redundancies.

“However, we need to continue to cut costs and improve the efficiency of our operations to help ensure our long-term competitiveness.”

As well as the 490 direct employees, it is understood further job losses will come among its cohort of agency workers.

And such will be the wider impact that suppliers and contractors may also be hit.

When the Bombardier corporate statement was released in Montreal earlier this month, a spokesman at the former Shorts plant in Belfast said the company would take the necessary time to evaluate what it means for its aerostructures and engineering services business.

“We will communicate with our employees in more detail over the coming weeks,” Bombardier Shorts said.