Shorts cut back redundancies

Belfast plane maker Shorts is reducing the number of workers it is making redundant as a result of the global downturn in the airline industry following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US, it announced today.

The company, a subsidiary of Canadian Bombardier Aerospace, announced last September that 2,000 jobs from among the 7,500 workforce would have to go, but now says it expected overall job losses to be ‘‘several hundred less’’ provided there was no further deterioration in the market.

However the news came too late for some workers and close to 300 will be made redundant before the end of the month.

Workers to be affected were given formal notification today that their jobs were ‘‘at risk’’. A final list of those to go will be drawn up next week.

A Shorts spokesman said: ‘‘The redundancies are taking place right across the company and affect managerial, technical and shopfloor staff.’’

He added: ‘‘The mood today is sombre. Regrettably we are losing some valued employees and we realise this is a difficult time for them and their families.

‘‘It is unfortunate that we have to implement job cuts, but it is necessary in order to protect the remaining jobs and survive and grow the company in the future.

Already 90 permanent staff have taken voluntary redundancy and another 350 temporary staff and subcontractors have gone with a further 100 to go by the end of the month.

The company said the reduction in the projected total job losses was because of the success of measures they had taken with the support of trade unions, and to some customers revising production rates upwards.

But the company said its production rates in 2002/3 would be 15-50% below those planned before September and were due to the ‘‘very difficult market circumstances’’ faced by customers.