When: 11am today [Wednesday September 25^th]

Where: Unite the union office, the Pentagon, 2 Ballymoney Road, Ballymena BT 45 3BY

Unite warns of devastating consequences of closure to Ballymena and wider economy if jobs and skills not saved

Union challenges administrator to be creative to defend jobs & contracts

Today’s planned announcement of administration is another needless and devastating blow to Ballymena and more broadly to manufacturing in Northern Ireland. Still reeling from the closures of Michelin and JTI, this latest shock will see 1,300 jobs go and a further 3,400 in the supply chain put at risk.

Unite Regional Secretary Jackie Pollock speaking in Ballymena today said;

“This is a workforce at the cutting edge of technological advancements in the design and supply of green public transport, we cannot afford to lose any more jobs or skills in this area, this is now a crisis and with MLA’s abdicating their responsibilities and the ongoing stagnation at Stormont the Prime Minister now needs to step in.

“Ultimately if a solution based on a new buyer isn’t found immediately the Government must intervene to save jobs and skills, just three months ago Boris Johnson gave assurances that he ‘will do everything we can to ensure the future of that great UK company’, he has a chance today to do something decent.”

Unite Regional Officer George Brash will once again today address workers and meet senior management, he said,

“We have been told there is a company desperate to get in and takeover Wrightbus, while this is welcome it shouldn’t be done at the expense of jobs and contractual terms. I will be insisting on a meeting with the administrator today and arguing that for those who wish to stay their contracts should be honoured while a new buyer comes forward.”