Responding to the announcement that Belfast aerospace company Shorts is to cut its workforce by up to 280, East Belfast Assembly member Naomi Long stated:
“These job losses are always a tremendous source of concern in East Belfast, and it really reinforces the need for Shorts to secure as much work as possible on the new C-Series aircraft.
“I and Alliance’s Sean Neeson MLA have been lobbying Ministers and meeting with Shorts in order to ensure that jobs and investment linked to the C-Series come to Northern Ireland.
“This news is a real blow for many people working in East Belfast today, but the situation is not completely without hope.”