BALLYMENA-born actor turned Hollywood action hero Liam Neeson has backed a union call demanding more jobs for his home town.
The Taken star has written to the Unite union in Belfast endorsing its 'Rally For a Future' campaign which was launched recently following devastating job losses in the Co Antrim town.
In November last year Michelin announced it was closing its Ballymena factory with the loss of 860 jobs, while, almost a year earlier, cigarette maker JTI Gallaher said it was pulling down the shutters on its base on the edge of the town, resulting in 800 redundancies.
And, in 2012, another of the town's big employers, the Patton Group, was placed into administration with 190 workers laid off.
Ahead of a rally planned at Ballymena bandstand on Saturday February 6, the actor, who recently agreed to feature in a promotional advertisement for Northern Ireland, said he "wholeheartedly" supported the new campaign.
"Urgent action needs to be taken by the government to focus attention on the devastating loss of employment in our area," he wrote to the union.
"We have one of the finest, conscientious, hard-working, skilled and educated work forces in all of the United Kingdom - not to mention one of the most cultured.
"Attention must be paid - Ballymena and Northern Ireland must be made more attractive to potential international employers.
"They would be lucky to have such an infrastructure and powerhouse of able and willing workers. I believe that nothing less than the future of Northern Ireland is at stake here.
"Unite, people, elected ministers and political leaders. UNITE! Yours, urgently, Liam Neeson OBE."
Following the passionate intervention, Unite regional secretary Jimmy Kelly said he wanted to thank the award-winning actor for his "ongoing and steadfast commitment" to Ballymena.
"I want to thank Liam Neeson for his powerful endorsement of our campaign," he said. "His words have captured the spirit of the 'Rally For a Future' campaign launched by workers at the Michelin and JTI-Gallaher plants.
"This is about everyone coming together and uniting to demand a better future following huge levels of job losses."
Mr Kelly said Ballymena, "like Northern Ireland generally", could offer a well-skilled, educated and committed labour force, as well as excellent infrastructural provision.
"Giving up on proactively seeking foreign investment in manufacturing is not an option," Mr Kelly added.
"The Ballymena ‘Rally For a Future’ campaign is gaining momentum as more and more people express their support. Already the campaign is being raised in the corridors and chambers of power. We hope our political leaders are listening."
