{"id":14428,"date":"2018-01-18T15:49:22","date_gmt":"2018-01-18T15:49:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=14428"},"modified":"2020-11-12T12:59:12","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T12:59:12","slug":"bombardier-jobs-fight-ramps-up-as-tariff-ruling-nears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=14428","title":{"rendered":"Turning point"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Workers gathered for mass union meetings at the gates of all five Bombardier sites in Northern Ireland today (January 18), on the eve of a critical US International Trade Commission (USITC) decision that may well decide their future.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Within two weeks, the USITC is expected to decide whether to approve massive 292 per cent tariffs on imports of Bombardier\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s C-Series jet, whose wings are produced in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The decision follows a contentious trade dispute<\/a> with US-based aerospace rival Boeing, which last year put in an official complaint to US authorities that Bombardier had benefited from unfair state subsidies.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This so-called aid, Boeing argued, enabled the company to sell its C-Series to Delta airlines at knockdown prices.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But Unite has said that Boeing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s claim is without merit and has only sought to crush perfectly legitimate competition. After all, Boeing was not materially harmed by the Delta order \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it did not even put in a bid for the contract. Its claims are also hypocritical \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Boeing itself has received billions in subsidies from the US government.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But now, if the tariffs are approved, about 4,000 jobs in Northern Ireland could be at risk, Unite regional secretary Jackie Pollock explained.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jobs risk<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThese tariffs effectively quadruple the price of the C-Series in the US, shutting Bombardier out of the largest market globally for the aircraft,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThat poses an immediate and serious threat to every single job at Bombardier in Northern Ireland and by extension to those tens of thousands of workers in their supply chain and those who benefit from the boost wages provide our economy.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Speaking to UNITElive after the meetings today, Unite shop steward Gaye Partridge said that there was an \u00e2\u20ac\u015bexcellent turnout\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 at today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s events.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bEven though the meetings were organised by trade unions, we invited all employees and the vast majority turned out,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bEven management came along as well.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gaye added that the workforce waits in anxious anticipation for the final USITC ruling expected in a fortnight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a lot of anxiety because we know just how serious this will be for our local communities \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a 300 per cent tariff will definitely have an impact on the company which could mean major job losses, both direct and in the wider supply chain. We just don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know whether in near future we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have a job,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she noted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gaye highlighted the impact the job losses would have across the board.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWith so many jobs gone, this would hit spending in shops locally \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the impact will be massive. We worry too that the loss of so many jobs would have a knock-on effect on the peace process.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to go back to where we were,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe believe the DUP especially must use its influence to call on the UK government to act. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got plenty of leverage to persuade Boeing to drop its claim.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gov’t action call<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Since the trade dispute began, Unite has unrelentingly lobbied the UK and US governments to take action to resolve the dispute.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Last month, a delegation of Unite representatives travelled to Capitol Hill<\/a> to take their fight for Northern Ireland jobs straight to US representatives.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite last week slammed the UK government for effectively raising the white flag<\/a> after it said it expected the tariff rulings to be approved.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Richard Harrington, a UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy minister, claimed<\/a> the UK government was doing all it could to support Bombardier workers and pointed to two phone calls prime minister Theresa May had made to US president Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But he also admitted that May had not been in contact with Trump since the initial US Department of Commerce rulings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bA phone call to Donald Trump is all well and good, but where is the follow through on Theresa May\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tough words about Boeing and the tough action needed to secure Northern Ireland jobs?\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The UK government has said it will pursue the option of appeal through the World Trade Organisation but Pollock said this plan would be too little, too late.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThat process is likely to take years \u00e2\u20ac\u201c during which time the damage to jobs here in Northern Ireland will have been done,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pollock highlighted in his speech today what Unite has been doing to fight for Bombardier jobs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have taken our message to the corridors of power — in London; in Dublin; in Brussels; in Montreal; even in Washington DC itself,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have organised to get our councils in Northern Ireland back our campaign. So far eight of the eleven local authorities have unanimously backed the demand for action by the government.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He said today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s meetings must be a \u00e2\u20ac\u015bturning point\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 as he called on the UK government to defend jobs and vowed that Unite would continue demanding action \u00e2\u20ac\u015btoday and tomorrow\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 whatever the USITC result.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite shop steward Kieran Ellison, who also attended today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s events, said that the massive turnout today showed the strength of feeling among the workforce.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe are determined to take our fight to Boeing to defend jobs,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He explained that he and his fellow colleagues were extremely anxious now as they await the final ruling.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re worried about our jobs \u00e2\u20ac\u201c will we be able to support our families? There are just so many unanswered questions.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

‘Angry’<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Kieran added that he was angry at the way the UK government has handled the trade dispute compared to the Canadian government, which took decisive action<\/a> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it has scrapped plans to order 18 Boeing Super Hornet fighter jets and has launched a search for new aircraft using criteria that will impede future military bids from Boeing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015b[Canadian prime minister] Justin Trudeau has come out fighting for jobs \u00e2\u20ac\u201c he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s stood up to Boeing and stood up to Trump,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe way that Theresa May has reacted in comparison is nothing short of shameful. If the Canadian government can take action, so can we.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have to hold politicians\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 feet to the fire.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Given that the UK government continues to hand \u00c2\u01415bn in defence contracts to Boeing, Unite believes the government can easily follow in the footsteps of Canada \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it has the financial clout to convince Boeing to drop its complaint. All that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s needed is the political will.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You can help by contacting your MP<\/a> or Stormont representative<\/a> and by signing our petition here<\/a> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c as of writing it has nearly garnered the 10,000 signatures required to force the government to respond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Workers gathered for mass union meetings at the gates of all five Bombardier sites in Northern Ireland today (January 18), on the eve of a critical US International Trade Commission (USITC) decision that may well decide their future.   Within two weeks, the USITC is expected to decide whether to approve massive 292 per cent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[802,801],"wps_subtitle":"Bombardier jobs fight ramps up as tariff ruling nears","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14428"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14428"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26463,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14428\/revisions\/26463"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}