FG Wilson laying off more staff

FG Wilson is to lay off more staff

Another 95 workers are to be made redundant at County Antrim engineering firm FG Wilson.

The redundancies are to be made across three sites - Larne (47), Springvale (31) and Monkstown (17).

The firm said the cutbacks were necessary to "manage production levels with current demand".

In January, the company said it was making 250 people redundant and a month earlier it laid off more than 180 agency workers.

"This is subject to consultation with employees and representatives from Unite the union," the firm said in a statement.

"We will explore ways to minimise the need for compulsory redundancies, which will include offering voluntary redundancy.

"We regret this action is necessary, however, it is ultimately in the long-term interests of our business.

"FG Wilson's focus is on taking actions that will best position the company for long-term success and profitability during the current global recession."

Alliance Enterprise spokesman Seán Neeson said the "devastating" news was another setback for East Antrim.

He said that the Northern Ireland Executive should do more to safeguard jobs.

"The public are getting increasingly worried because the Stormont Executive appears to be able to do little to stem this loss of jobs here," he said.

"We need to take a sustainable approach to deal with the downturn and provide projects to boost the construction industry and re-invigorate our economy."

FG Wilson was founded in 1966 and acquired by current parent company, Caterpillar, in 1999.