Bombardier Boeing dispute should go to WTO says union says

Trade unionists have said a dispute between US planemaker Boeing and its Canadian rival Bombardier should be referred to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Dec 2017, 06:00 BST
Updated 12th Dec 2017, 10:19 BST
Unite has called on the Prime Minister to use Boeing contracts with the UK as leverage in the Bombardier disputeUnite has called on the Prime Minister to use Boeing contracts with the UK as leverage in the Bombardier dispute
Unite has called on the Prime Minister to use Boeing contracts with the UK as leverage in the Bombardier dispute

The call comes as the company confirmed it has been selected by its new partner on the C Series, Airbus, to become a supplier on a new engine nacelle programme for the Pratt & Whitney powered A320neo family of aircraft.

The new work brings no extra jobs at this stage but it does one again underline the importance of the skills at the Belfast division to the overall Bomaberidr business.

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However, amid warnings that a protracted dispute with the US trade authorities could seriously jeopardise the C Series with its 300% tariff, Unite has called for a third party to assess the situation.

The plane’s wings are made in Northern Ireland and the union says thousands of Northern Ireland jobs could be threatened should sales be badly affected.

Gaye Partridge, chair of Unite the Union’s shop stewards committee in Bombardier, said the mooted levy effectively closed the US market to the C Series.

“Repealing this through the courts will take years and the punitive rate is designed to kill the potential that the C Series could ever compete in the future.”

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As such Unite is calling on Prime Minister Theresa May to use £4.6 billion of official contracts with Boeing as leverage to force the aerospace giant to drop its case.

She briefed Belfast City Council on calls for action from political leaders, urging councillors to follow other local authorities in lending their unanimous support and agreeing to write to the Prime Minister and EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom.

She asked the Prime Minister to ensure US President Donald Trump removed the proposed tariffs his administration wants to impose on imports of the new aircraft into the US.

“We also call on Theresa May to escalate this case to the WTO with immediate effect.”

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Although the final decision is due in February from the US Dept of Commerce on the Boeing petitions, there ate fears that the tariffs - if reduced - could still prove extremely punitive.

In the meantime, the agreement with Airbus underlines the importance of the Belfast division.

It has been chosen to develop and manufacture a new thrust reverser to enable Airbus to offer a new, innovative nacelle and its aftermarket support for Pratt & Whitney’s Pure Power PW1100G engine.

Bombardier is already a supplier to Airbus on a number of programmes.

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The workforce in Belfast has extensive experience and expertise, having accumulated more than 40 years in the design, development, manufacture and support of aircraft engine nacelles.

“We are delighted to have been selected as a supplier on this new nacelle, which will enable us to build on the relationship we already have with Airbus,” said Stephen Addis, VP for customer services and programmes, Bombardier Aerostructures and Engineering Services.

“This work package reinforces our long-term strategy to grow our capabilities in the nacelles market and to focus on delivering innovative, higher value products and services in an extremely competitive global environment.”

Related topics:UniteTheresa MayAirbusDonald TrumpBelfast