Cllr Stephen Martin said: “This news has come as a bolt out of the blue. Coca-Cola has always been viewed in Lisburn as one of our leading employers having taken a very active role in the community. The news that the company is to undergo a major restructuring exercise is yet a further example of the impact of the global economic situation on our local economy. The conventional wisdom has been that we can produce and manufacture our way out of the recession but here we stand on the verge of losing a huge number of established jobs with one such key employer.
“We have got to look at ways in which we can work with Coca-Cola to lessen the impact of these job losses.
“The 30-day consultation period within the company, while a commercial decision, gives no real time to allow for alternative solutions to be worked out or for staff to come to terms for the changes that lie ahead. The impact on staff cannot be underestimated.
“What is important now is that those impacted by the decision are given all the support they need.”
ENDS