760 jobs lost in major jobs blow for Northern Ireland

NORTHERN IRELAND HAS been dealt a serious jobs blow with the news that 760 jobs are to go at an engineering company.

FG Wilson currently employs more than 3,000 people at four sites across Northern Ireland.

In a statement, Caterpillar, which owns FG Wilson, blamed the slowdown in global demand for the diesel generator sets which it manufactures. The company is also moving some of its facilities to China.

The announcement has been attacked by unions who described the treatment of employees at the company as “contemptuous”.

Jimmy Kelly of Unite said that the loss of the high-calibre jobs would be a crushing blow to east Antrim and Northern Ireland.

“The company has not given its workers or their nion representatives the opportunity to negotiate a plan which would have attempted to keep some of the affected workers employed,” said Kelly.

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