Workers at Spirit Aerosystems in Belfast have been left ‘in limbo’ over their future say union GMB.
It was announced recently that Boeing is taking over Spirit, with Airbus taking over the part of the business that makes the wings and fuselage for its A220 jet.
The future of more than 60 per cent of the workforce who are not involved in Airbus production has now been left in doubt. Aerospace is a vital element of Northern Ireland manufacturing and has a global footprint.
Every major commercial aircraft programme in the world depends on structures, components and services sourced from Northern Ireland. The sector is valued at £1.9 billion and employs 10,000 workers, including those in sub-supply chains.
Alan Perry, GMB Senior Organiser, said:
“Today’s announcement is very concerning for GMB members and what the future holds for those working on non airbus contracts. They’ve been left in limbo. We have been clear on the implications of this kind of Boeing acquisition, but we’ve yet to hear any assurances the Belfast site will be kept as one single entity.
Workers’ livelihoods cannot be put at risk for the sake of corporate greed: our members must have guarantees over their future. Northern Ireland Aerospace is one of Europe’s leading aerospace regions in revenue terms – this is not a sector where a complacent ‘laissez-faire’ approach from Stormont will pass. We need to see real action to safeguard jobs, skills and the future of the sector. GMB has called for an urgent meeting with the company, along with the Economy Minister, to make sure all staff at Spirit in Northern Ireland are fully protected.”