Don’t hold our jobs to ‘ransom’

Ballymena, Co Antrim and Hollywood. Worlds apart you might think. But such is the threat to jobs and the community that Ballymena-born award winning actor Liam Neeson has joined with Unite to fight for the town’s very future.

Neeson believes nothing short of the future of Northern Ireland is at stake. His support comes in the wake of a series of major employment blows for the town. At risk are key manufacturing jobs including at Michelin and JTI Gallaher.

“Unite is organising the ‘Rally for a Future’ campaign launched by workers at the Michelin and JTI-Gallaher plants. This is about everyone coming together and uniting to demand a better future facing huge levels of job losses,” explained Unite regional secretary Jimmy Kelly.

Liam Neeson said it was “tragic” that the Michelin factory will close, with 2,000 jobs going – and hundreds more to be lost when JTI Gallaher’s closes for good next year.

The Taken star, a freeman of the borough, has pledged his support to the February 6 rally and Unite’s fight for the community’s future.

In an email to Unite, he says, “I wholeheartedly support the Unite union’s ‘Rally for a Future’.

“Urgent action needs to be taken by the government to focus attention on the devastating loss of employment in our area.

Skilled workforces

“We have one of the finest, conscientious, hard-working, skilled and educated work forces in all of the United Kingdom: not to mention one of the most cultured.

“Attention must be paid! Ballymena and Northern Ireland must be made more attractive to potential international employers.

“They would be lucky to have such an infrastructure and powerhouse of able and willing workers.”

He concluded with a plea for unity and action, “Unite, people, elected ministers and political leaders: UNITE!”

Kelly thanked Neeson for his “ongoing and steadfast” support for the workforce in Ballymena and urged people to get behind the campaign.

Gaining momentum

He added, “The campaign is gaining momentum as more and more people express their support – already the campaign is being raised in the corridors and chambers of power. We hope that our political leaders are listening.

“We are calling for workers and the wider community to come together to demonstrate their support at the Ballymena bandstand at noon on Saturday, February 6.

“We demand focused and continued efforts to attract manufacturing jobs and investment to Ballymena and ensure a prosperous future for all”, added Kelly.

Stay tuned to UNITElive for more on the Ballymena rally and campaign as it develops.