Save Bombardier jobs

A Unite delegation representing Northern Ireland Bombardier workers will be in Montreal and Washington D.C. next week for a whirlwind lobbying push to safeguard UK jobs ahead of the US department of commerce’s final determination on whether to slap tariffs of 300 per cent on Bombardier C-series passenger jets.

The delegation arrives in Montreal on Sunday (December 10) for a series of meetings with the chief executive of Bombardier Alain Bellemare, Canadian politicians and trade unions before travelling to Washington D.C. on Wednesday (December 13).

The second leg of the lobbying push will see the delegation head to Capitol Hill to call on US politicians and the department of commerce to drop the threat of ‘crushing’ tariffs on C-series planes and determine that Boeing’s case is without merit.

While in Washington, the Unite delegation also expects to enlist the support of the European Union and the Irish and the UK ambassadors to the US.

Leading the delegation is Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner, who commented, “Unite is leaving no stone unturned in our bid to safeguard Bombardier jobs in Northern Ireland and the wider supply chain. It is crucial that the threat of these unjust crushing tariffs are removed.

“Boeing does not produce an aircraft in the same class as Bombardier’s C-series and didn’t even bid for the Delta contract it is complaining about, which leaves its complaint totally without merit,” he added.

“If the US government imposes tariffs and Boeing’s bullying wins the day, it will damage Bombardier and destroy UK jobs. It will also threaten thousands of jobs in Bombardier and its supply chain in the USA.

“With the US department of commerce’s determination, due on 19 December, we will be bringing pressure to bear in Montreal and Washington, calling for fair play to win the day and get the threat of job destroying tariffs dropped.”