Inquiry urged into job losses

A senior Ulster Unionist today called for an inquiry into the news that nearly 200 people are to be made redundant at one of Northern Ireland’s high-tech companies.

Valence Technologies at Mallusk, Co Antrim, which currently employs 380 people making batteries for mobile phones, said last night it was getting rid of 181 staff.

The US-owned company said it was laying off the staff because of global pressures on the market, but that it hoped to re-employ them later in the year.

But David Burnside, the UUP general election candidate in South Antrim, said the company announcement did not add up.

"There has been a serious amount of taxpayers’ money put into this company by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, but it was not even informed about the announcement," he said.

He said the department was "raging" about the whole situation, "there was no consultation at all".

And businessman Mr Burnside questioned the Valence announcement. "To announce that you are making people redundant and then that you are considering re-employing them if the sector picks up in a couple of months is not normal management practice as far as I am concerned."

He added: "I think the whole role of management has to be questioned."

Mr Burnside said that, as a first step, the company could have had discussions with workers’ representatives and the unions to see if they could "scale down wage costs during a depressed period".

On a bad day for the Northern Ireland economy yesterday, it was also confirmed that Canadian firm Nortel are to axe about 150 at its Monkstown, Co Antrim plant.

They blamed international market pressure.