AS many as 400 jobs could be at risk at Moy Park after the poultry firm confirmed it is suspending some production at one of its plants
The American-owned operation, which turned over £1.5 billion last year and cleared £60 million in profit, confirmed it is proposing to temporarily cease processing live birds at Ballymena due to "challenging market conditions" but hopes to re-open the line next January.
In line with this, the North Antrim hatchery will temporarily cease hatching until November, though it will continue to cut, further process and pack at Ballymena, including retail production of our BBQ products.
In a statement the company said: “We are currently working with our colleagues and their representatives doing our utmost to minimise the impact of this proposal on our excellent workforce, including offering temporary transfers to other shifts and roles.
“We will also be working closely with our farming partners throughout the process to manage this temporary reduction in poultry requirement.”
But given recent contentious changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), in which farmers won't get the same level of subsidies, there is concern that it will impact the Moy Park supply line in the longer term.
Trade union Unite has said it is highly concerned by the closure, which could impact on hundreds of local jobs.
Sean McKeever, Unite regional officer said:
“Our members on the shop-floor are reporting that they have been told that this will result in up to four hundred job losses, although the company are telling the media that there will be no job losses and that redundancies can be avoided through redeployment elsewhere.”
“Moy Park management must offer guarantees that no worker whether agency or otherwise will be made redundant,” he added.
It is understood around 800 poultry farms in Northern Ireland are dependent on Moy Park, with many being committed to a 10-year engagement and borrowings of around £750,000 for sheds and biomass hot water systems.
Moy Park, founded 75 years ago, employs 6,300 people in Northern Ireland and another 12,000 in Britain, the Republic and at operations in mainland Europe.
The company was bought by JBS from Marfig for £1.2 billion in 2015 before being sold on to one of its subsidiaries Pilgrim's Pride two years later in a transaction which is subject of legal proceedings in the US by shareholders to determine if the purchase was fair.
