Threat to 300 jobs as firm moves abroad
Union chiefs hit out at employment laws today after an electronics factory in the North announced that up to 300 jobs were to be axed.
Staff at Sanmina in Lisburn, Co Antrim, were told the plant was shutting down as part of relocation plans.
The US-owned company, which makes computer cabinets, wants to set up in Hungary in a bid to lower its wage bill.
As bosses at the Ballinderry Road factory said they were starting a 90-day consultation with trade union representatives, staff were left shocked by the plans.
Some said they had feared job cuts since Christmas, yet the speed of the announcement still stunned them.
Terry Collins, of the Amicus union, accused big firms of showing no loyalty to their employees.
He said: “We had a loyal workforce. It’s not that there was problems with the quality of the work.
“It’s down to just the pounds, shillings and pence position. They have made this decision to exit the business.
“I have a concern that these multinationals can do this because of the weak employment laws.
“They can exit the likes of Northern Ireland and the UK because they have to pay very little in compensation.
“But if they were situated in the likes of France or Germany it would cost up to approximately £100,000 (€148,000) per employee to remove them.”
Mr Collins added that he would be contacting the company urgently because no-one had been in touch with him.
“But obviously I’m fearful. I think the decision has been made,” he told BBC Radio Ulster.
“It’s really down to see what sort of package we can extrapolate out of the company for the employees.
“It’s a bolt out of the blue. We were aware that the company was experiencing some difficulties. For this to come so quickly is a real shock.”
