Caterpillar 'must engage fully in redundancy consultation' - Unite

The US manufacturing giant last month announced plans to axe 700 jobs at the site.

The move, Caterpillar said, supports ongoing plans to better utilise existing capacity and improve cost competitiveness.

The job losses would predominantly affect operations at Old Glenarm Road as the plan would include a relocation of a portion of that work and the relocation of some engineering activities to other Caterpillar facilities.

George Brash, Unite Regional Officer said: “Unite has engaged in the 90-day consultation announced by Caterpillar last month with a view to avoiding the need for any compulsory redundancies and of maximising the productive footprint of this company in Northern Ireland.

"Unfortunately we have to say that we feel that the company’s side is approaching this as a box-ticking exercise simply counting down the days to February 2, when the consultation ends.

“Caterpillar’s decision to offshore production from Larne to India is a disgraceful one; unfortunately they are intent on pursuing a destructive race-to-the-bottom by offshoring to low cost locations. The human cost to highly skilled workers and the impact on the economy of the Larne area will be immense.

“This is a global company which last year reported $17 billion profits but now to add insult to injury they seek to impose a cap on the voluntary redundancy package they are offering."

Mr Brash called on the firm to lift the cap on the redundancy package, and to make a decision to retain the G7 product in NI to save skilled jobs.

“Caterpillar’s Northern Ireland sites will be the only ones retaining free and frictionless trade access to both UK and EU markets after Brexit under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol. This offers a strong case to reject the threat to ‘review’ G7 production here and immediately guarantee the livelihoods of another 40 workers," he added.

“Unite will fight to avoid compulsory redundancies up to and beyond the minimum ninety-day consultation limit. We are encouraging any workers who are not already a member of our union to join us in that fightback to win a future for highly-skilled manufacturing jobs in Northern Ireland."