Textile spinning company to shed 250 jobs

Northern Ireland’s beleaguered textile industry suffered another hammer blow tonight when a Co Tyrone company told its workforce of more than 250 that they are to lose their jobs.

Management at Herdman’s spinning mill in Sion Mills said manufacturing at the plant is to cease.

Thousands of jobs have been lost in the local textile industry in recent years because of an inability to compete with low wage economies, particularly in eastern Europe and the Far East.

In an effort to counter the cost problems it was having Herdman’s opened a plant in South Africa and it is expected production current production will be transferred there from Co Tyrone.

The company said in a statement it had attempted to maintain levels of employment in the Tyrone area, but considerable losses in recent years could no longer be sustained.

Last April the company, which has operated in Sion Mills since 1835, made about 160 workers redundant.

TGWU spokesman Jimmy Quinn said it would be very difficult for the workers to find alternative employment in the area and called for help from the British government.

“What I am hearing is anger and total shock at the wipe-out of the factory, it is a total hammer-blow to the people of Sion Mills.

“Really it is like going to a funeral and not knowing what to say to people - their whole futures have been wrecked by this.”

He said he had “no hope” the plant could be saved, but called on Northern Ireland Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Ian Pearson to intervene directly to bring jobs to the area.