Shorts' unions meet politicians

The action by shop floor workers is part of a dispute over pay

Union leaders at Belfast aerospace firm Shorts have met newly-elected assembly members to discuss industrial action at the plant.

About 4,000 workers went on strike on Wednesday in a dispute over pay and cost-cutting.

The action - the first of its kind at the company in 20 years - has involved members of the Amicus and Transport and General Workers' Union.

Several hundred workers and members of the DUP, SDLP and Sinn Fein attended a rally at Transport House in Belfast on Saturday.

Wider dispute

Eugene McGlone from the Transport and General Workers Union said his members were angry that their wages had been docked.

He said the company was taking two weeks pay off every worker.

"The company are anticipating that the picket is going to last for at least two weeks," he said.

"They are taking two weeks wages out of this month's pay to ensure that there's economic hardship coming up to Christmas.

"I think that, in itself, sends out very bad messages and it has caused this meeting to be very, very militant in respect of the dispute.

"It's made our job of trying to resolve the dispute in any sort of amicable way considerably more difficult."

Informal talks between Bombardier Shorts and the unions continued at the Labour Relations Agency on Sunday.

Market conditions

The strike centres on two specific issues - the introduction of afternoon shifts and worries about redundancies - but it also stems from a wider dispute.

Workers at Shorts, which is Northern Ireland's biggest manufacturing firm, narrowly rejected a four-year pay deal agreed by unions and management and the dispute has continued for six months.

Subsequent talks to resolve the issue had been close to finding a solution but in recent weeks relations worsened to the point where strike action was taken.

Shorts - which is owned by Canada's Bombardier - cut 600 jobs in May. The firm said a further 580 posts would go before next April but this was reduced in August to fewer than 100.

Shorts said its programme of cutbacks was in response to what it called "very challenging market conditions".

Bombardier has made it clear that it needs to reduce the workforce in Northern Ireland in order to improve competitiveness.

The Canadian company said it was essential that the Belfast operation was "in the best position possible to retain contracts with its customers who are demanding very competitive, long-term price commitments".

The aerospace industry has been badly affected in recent years by events including 11 September, the consequent fear of terrorism, the downturn in the global economy, competition from low-cost carriers and the Sars outbreak earlier this year.

Many airlines are in financial difficulties and have cancelled some aircraft orders and put others on hold.