NI aerospace workers poised for strike

Thousands of workers at the Shorts aerospace company in east Belfast were today poised to go on all-out strike.

Work has already come to a virtual standstill and later this morning some 4,000 members of the Amicus and TGWU union were due to stage a mass walkout.

The action is the culmination of a long-running dispute at the company, which began in the summer when members of the two unions narrowly rejected a four-year pay and conditions agreement – recommended by shop stewards – involving a pay freeze in the first year.

The company’s Canadian parent Bombardier has warned 1,000 jobs will go if the deal is not implemented.

Separately, in the spring, 600 workers were made redundant and another 580 warned they would have to go before next spring – that number has now been reduced to 100.

The pay deal, the redundancies, and the introduction of an afternoon shift to replace a night shift which carries a larger overtime premium, have all come together to cause a breakdown in relations at Shorts and ultimately the strike action.

Both management and unions say the are ready for talks to try to resolve the dispute – but management is insisting industrial action be called off first, while the unions said the strike action would not be called off for talks.