Sinead Bradley MLA says job losses in Kilkeel “devastating blow”.
SDLP South Down MLA Sinead Bradley has expressed her disbelief at the loss of 235 jobs at the Collins Aerospace factory as a terrible blow to Kilkeel.
She said that more than 200 job losses in Kilkeel as a “devastating blow to the local economy” and has called on the NI Executive to consider an intervention.
The South Down MLA said: “The announcement today that 235 employees of the 945 strong workforce at Collins Aerospace, Kilkeel are set to lose their job is a bad day for Kilkeel.
“Having spoken with the management team that it is obvious that they need to reorganise now as a direct result of the undeniable reduction in business being faced by the aviation industry at large.
“Employees have expressed to me their anxiety that they could be faced with unemployment by the end of October.
“While there has been a growing realisation that the aviation industry is struggling at a global level, the scale of the impact locally has nonetheless caused great shock and concern.
“Collins Aerospace is a key employer for this area and directly contributes to the economic prosperity of Kilkeel town and surrounding areas.”
Jobs Should Be Saved Where Possible
Sinead Bradley added: “The retention of employment on this site is of critical importance and the SDLP have therefore called for immediate intervention from the Executive and the Minister for the Economy, Diane Dodds, to establish what actions might be taken to alleviate the impact of the current difficulties.”
“We cannot and should not be in the business of offering anyone false hope but neither can we afford to stand by and allow jobs that are so critical to the wellbeing of our local economy to simply disappear.
“Second to keeping people safe during Covid-19, the Executive must prioritise taking immediate direct action to retain employment and actively support our economy.”
The South Down MLA said: “Employees are understandably feeling apprehensive and uncertain about their future employment opportunities but as a minimum they deserve to know everything that can be done is being done to mitigate against such a large number of job losses.”
