Bombardier update 23 Oct 2017
Over recent weeks, a sense of crisis has engulfed Bombardier, the aviation company based in East Belfast. Over 4,000 aerospace workers are employed by Bombardier in Northern Ireland, sustaining a further 20,000 in the local economy. These jobs are threatened by the 300% import tariffs on Bombardiers C Series proposed by President Trump's administration on behalf of Boeing.
The impact of Bombardier closing would be akin to Guinness" St James Gate being shuttered. Its flying boats helped win the Battle of the Atlantic. The huge factory in the Belfast docks is an iconic remnant of the city's glory days as a manufacturing powerhouse. In comparison, its next-door neighbour, Harland & Woolf employs a couple of hundred specialist engineers building wind turbines. H&W employed 30,000 skilled workers only three decades ago.
When the US Commerce decision was announced, Unite lobbied Westminster MPs, calling on Theresa May's government to defend UK manufacturing jobs against the bullying behaviour of Boeing", and that "failure to do so will lead to sanctions on current and future work on behalf of the UK government."
A similar statement was issued by the Congress Executive, which stated:
"It is incumbent on the two largest parties in Northern Ireland to continue to work together on this issue and use whatever leverage they have to support the workers. The ICTU will be doing what it can with the Irish government, our colleagues in the TUC and the international trade union movement to seek to ensure that all of these jobs which are a critical part of the Northern Ireland economy are protected."
Last week, an unexpected saviour arrived in the shape of Airbus, the EU-based aerospace giant which is the only global match for Boeing. The deal will see Airbus take a 50.01% stake the right to buy full control of the C-Series project in 2023.
While the details are still not complete clear, it seems that Bombardier's workers are secure (for now). Jimmy Kelly said "Unite will be seeking to engage with MEPs from both parts of Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom on this issue. Bombardier's supply chain extends into dozens of companies across these islands. It is vital that we explore all avenues to end the threat posed by these punitive tariffs. That requires urgent action by administrations in London, Dublin and Brussels."
It is unclear the lessons of this escapade have been noted, especially by those in the UK's Brexit "debate" who believe the promises of President Trump that the UK will get 'the best trade deal ever with the US..."
Unite the Union have asked NI-resident people to sign this UK Parliament petition to get 100,000 signatures and a debate in Westminster on Bombardier. Details here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/202496
