Wrightbus employment rises into the hundreds as orders for new hydrogen-buses roll in to fill out order book

Unite Regional Secretary Jackie Pollock welcomed the fact that employment at Wrightbus since its acquisition by Bamford has now risen very substantially with further recruitment likely:

“The employment of hundreds of ex-Wrightbus workers by Bamford is a triumph for the workforce and the local community. It validates the tooth-and-nail fight of workers and our union to safeguard this productive capacity.

“The ex-Wrightbus workforce has the skills necessary to enable a transition of our public transport system onto a more sustainable basis.

“Unite had the vision to fight for a future for this workforce and this industry. Ballymena mobilised behind the campaign and the workers, and now we are seeing the positive results of that success”, Mr Pollock said.

Regional Officer for Wrightbus, George Brash, was positive about the potential demand for hydrogen-buses and that it would continue to translate into expanded employment at the Ballymena site:

“The potential market for hydrogen-powered and battery-powered buses is immense as bus operators globally seek new ways to reduce their carbon footprint. The company that develops reduced-carbon technology first will capture the market for transitional forms of transport and will require a substantial manufacturing workforce. 

“There’s every reason to believe that Ballymena and the ex-Wrightbus workforce could be that world-leading manufacturer of hydrogen-fuelled buses. 

“Today’s positive announcement by the company management confirms that Wrightbus has a future and shows that it was right for workers to fight for the future of the company. We need to see today’s announcement followed up by an acceleration of the transition away from agency contracts and the guaranteeing of full union recognition rights”, Mr Brash concluded.