Shorts of Belfast 'to lay off 300 workers'
Management at the Shorts aerospace firm in Belfast has reportedly announced plans to lay off 300 workers following their failure to negotiate a new pay deal with their employers.
Trade unions were told the news this morning and the workers were informed at lunchtime, according to reports.
A source at Shorts suggested that the job losses were the first in a series of planned lay-offs.
The company had threatened to shed more than 1,000 jobs after the Shorts workforce in Belfast rejected a pay deal negotiated by their union representatives.
The four-year deal, which included a one-year pay freeze in return for guarantees of job security, was rejected by 60% of the workers.
