Alliance East Belfast MLA Chris Lyttle has expressed his concern after news Bombardier is due to cut 490 jobs from its local operations.
The news follows in the wake of Bombardier’s announcement 5,000 jobs would be cut across its global operations. Mr Lyttle said he has sought an urgent meeting with company management on the matter.
“This news is extremely regrettable for everyone across the community but particularly for those workers directly affected and their families, especially in the mouth of Christmas,” he said.
“My colleague Naomi Long MLA and I have sought an urgent meeting with company management to discuss this matter, and see what action we can take to mitigate compulsory redundancies and secure a competitive future for Bombardier Belfast.
“It is important to reiterate Bombardier workers in Northern Ireland are highly skilled and this news is as a consequence of global factors. Bombardier has a long and strong heritage in East Belfast in particular and despite this devastating news, I am confident it will retain that key role in future.”