Bombardier: Long running pay dispute over

Bombardier's Belfast workforce has agreed a multi-annual pay deal after staff vote.

Published 15th Jun 2017

Staff voted to agree to the deal that will see employees receive a 2% rise this year and next as well as 2.75% in 2019.

The ongoing row began after the firm wanted a two-year pay freeze and talks began with unions.

However, they will receive 2% this year and next, with 2.75% in 2019.

Bombardier are one of the biggest employees in Northern Ireland, with around 4,500 workers.

Davy Thompson, Regional Coordinating Officer for Unite the Union welcomed the agreement:

"We are glad to have reached agreement with Bombardier management on a multi-annual pay deal that has received overwhelming endorsement by our membership.

"The workforce voted by a 73.5% majority to accept the deal," he said.

He added: "Last year management brought forward more than one thousand redundancies in Belfast that it had previously planned to bring in over a two-year period."

"Unite hopes that this deal will stabilise the businesses' Belfast operations in the go-forward.

"We hope that this will provide a base from which we can secure additional employment, securing the long-term future of the company in Northern Ireland."