Bombardier staff reach pay deal in long running dispute

By Adam Evans

The long running pay dispute had Bombardier has come to an end after workers voted 3 to 1 to accept a new deal.

The aerospace and transport firm produces around 10% of Northern Ireland's total manufacturing exports.

Davy Thompson, Regional Coordinating Officer for Unite expressed his hopes that the pay deal agreed by the union's membership will safeguard jobs and underpin future potential growth opportunities in Bombardier.

"We are glad to have reached agreement with Bombardier management on a multi-annual pay deal that has received overwhelming endorsement by our membership. The workforce voted by a 73.5% majority to accept the deal.

"Bombardier has suffered a series of job-losses as the company has experienced unforeseen challenges bringing forward its new C-series as well as difficulties in the private aircraft sector. The company globally has shed a significant number of jobs over the past year.

"Last year management brought forward more than one thousand redundancies in Belfast that it had previously planned to bring in over a two-year period.

"Unite hopes that this deal will stabilise the businesses' Belfast operations in the go-forward. We hope that this will provide a base from which we can secure additional employment, securing the long-term future of the company in Northern Ireland"