Bombardier cuts 5,000 jobs in worldwide cull with UK workers at risk
It is not clear how many jobs will be lost at its Northern Ireland plant where it employs 4,000 workers to make aircraft parts.
Thursday 8 November 2018 16:51, UK
Bombardier plans to cut 5,000 jobs as it grapples with a multi-billion pound debt incurred聽during the development of aircraft.
The bulk of the job losses - as many as 3,000 - will fall in Canada and mainly affect its aerospace business.
An announcement on how Bombardier workers in Northern Ireland and at its rail operations in Derby will be made in the coming weeks, a spokesperson for the firm told Sky News.
Last October, 280 jobs were cut from its Northern Ireland business, mainly non-manufacturing roles.
The company has 4,000 workers at four locations in Northern Ireland, mainly in Belfast, making wings and parts for the C Series passenger jet.
Bombardier sold a majority stake in the C Series jet to Airbus last year as it focuses on business jets and transportation.
Unite, the union representing workers in Northern Ireland, said it was a "brutal blow" for workers worldwide.
Susan Fitzgerald from the union said: "Unite has sought assurances that none of these jobs will be going at any of the five sites here in Northern Ireland - as yet, we have no confirmation of what this latest announcement will mean locally.
"These jobs are to go despite the fact that the company is making even more profits than they were a year ago."
This is the third round of job cuts at the debt-laden Canadian company since chief executive Alan Bellemare took the post in 2015.
The latest job cuts will take place over the next 12 to 18 months, leading to annual savings of $250m (£190m) by 2021.
Bombardier has debts of $9.5bn (£7.2bn) and hopes to raise $900m from the sale of its turboprop engine and flight training business.
"With today's announcements we have set in motion the next round of actions necessary to unleash the full potential of the Bombardier portfolio," Mr Bellemare said.
"We will continue to be proactive in focusing and streamlining the organisation."
Bombardier made the announcements as it delivered its latest earnings report.
It reported $267m (£203m) in earnings before interest and taxation for the quarter ending 30 September, compared to $133m (£101m) in the same period a year earlier.
The company has 65,000 employees worldwide.