Bombardier to reduce Belfast workforce by 400 - blames challenges caused by Covid-19

Last week the aerospace company announced plans to reduce its global workforce by 2,500 and said it would be reviewing its Northern Ireland operations.

A statement released today said: “Bombardier Aviation announced last week that it would adjust its workforce to align with current market conditions reflecting the extraordinary industry interruptions and challenges caused by Covid-19.

“We have now reviewed our requirements in Belfast for all of our aircraft programmes and regret to confirm that we must adjust our core workforce levels downwards by around 400 to align with market demand for the remainder of this year and through 2021.”

The statement continued: “Around 400 Bombardier core employee jobs in Northern Ireland are currently at risk of redundancy. The company will be lodging a formal HR1 redundancy notice with the Department for the Economy, following which there will be a 90-day consultation period when we will explore opportunities to mitigate the number of redundancies.

“We deeply regret the impact this will have on our workforce and their families, but it is crucial that we resize our business in line with market realities in these unprecedented circumstances.”

Following last week’s announcement of the reduction in the global workforce the manufacturer, one of Northern Ireland’s largest employers, said it was in response to “the challenges caused by Covid-19”.

It employs about 3,600 people across several locations in Northern Ireland.

Bombardier’s Belfast operations were wound down at the peak of the pandemic, with about 50% of staff believed to be back at the factory.

The company said it expects business jet deliveries to be down 30% industry wide.

Last May, the company said it was putting its Northern Ireland operation up for sale as part of a reorganisation of the business.

East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has said targeted support for the aerospace industry will be necessary following the announcement of job losses.

The DUP MP said, “The Belfast plant appears to have been hit disproportionately hard by these cuts, and my immediate thoughts are with all those staff who have been given this devastating news today.

“Staff at Bombardier have been through so much over recent years, but recently the outlook had looked much more positive in terms of the A220 jets and work towards the sale of the plant to Spirit AeroSystems.

“The aerospace industry has been particularly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Data recently released from the New Economic Forum has predicted 70,000 redundancies across the sector and there will be a need for targeted support from government to this industry across the UK.

“I hope to speak to the Business Minister Nadhim Zadawi later today about how the UK government can intervene to support this sector. I will continue to do everything possible to support the company, working with both the Executive locally and national Government.”

The Trade Union Unite claimed that the number of jobs to go at the Belfast plant could be as high as 600.

Susan Fitzgerald, Unite Regional Coordinating Officer called for urgent action from the Northern Ireland Executive on a strategy for the aerospace sector to survive the economic shockwaves of the Covid pandemic.

“Today’s announcement is a huge blow to the Bombardier workforce, their families and the economy of Northern Ireland as a whole. Unite will do whatever it takes to support these workers but the reality is that every worker will be going home today in uncertainty and concerned for their future.

“Bombardier jobs are high-value added, unionised jobs. The money these workers spend and the supply chain demand from this business plays a vital role in the Northern Ireland economy. Redundancies on this scale will have a devastating impact across the board but in the face of mounting threats to the aerospace sector as a whole, all we have seen is complete inaction from the Stormont Executive.

“The action to save this sector needs to come from government. Where is Stormont’s strategy to safeguard aerospace from the Covid downturn?”, Ms Fitzgerald asked.