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02/04/2002
Lord Mayor meets with H&W over closure fears
Lord Mayor of Belfast Jim Rodgers, accompanied by two of the city's leading citizens, have met with Harland & Wolff chiefs to assess the future of the company.
Councillor Rodgers, Deputy Lord Mayor Hugh Smyth, and the High Sheriff, Councillor Wallace Browne, have undertaken a series of meetings with senior management and shop stewards following the latest round of jobs cuts at the firm.
After the meetings, the three men said that they were "fully supportive" of Harland & Wolff's efforts to find a resolution to the company's current financial difficulties, and especially in relation to the sale of land now surplus to its requirements.
In a joint statement the three politicians said that they hoped that the Minister for Employment, Trade and Industry, Sir Reg Empey, and the Minister for Regional Development, Mr Peter Robinson, would agree to the proposals put forward by Harland & Wolff in relation to the sale of this land.
The statement read: "We have received assurances from the management of Harland & Wolff that they are prepared to amend the proposals currently on the table in order to make them more acceptable to the two departments.
"We now will be seeking an urgent meeting with both Sir Reg Empey and Peter Robinson, to discuss the proposals. We would hope that this meeting could be arranged for as early as the middle of the coming week," they added.
The company announced in March that it would be cutting 100 steelworkers and up to 44 other staff in order to cut costs.
In a statement, Harland & Wolff said the cuts had to be made as there was a lack of firm contracts on the order books.
“The company has sought to delay initiating action on redundancies as long as possible, not least as individuals' livelihoods are at stake, and has been in consultations with the trade unions since November 2001 when the potential under-utilisation (of the workforce) was initially identified," the statement read.
“Those employees affected will be notified shortly, with the first tranche of individual notices following thereafter. This is expected to mount to some 85 employees, comprising 75 operators and 10 staff.”
The Harland & Wolff business plan, which is currently being assessed by PricewaterhouseCoopers on behalf of DETI, proposed the sale of land in the lucrative Titanic Quarter which could raise up millions of pounds for company coffers.
(GMcG)
Councillor Rodgers, Deputy Lord Mayor Hugh Smyth, and the High Sheriff, Councillor Wallace Browne, have undertaken a series of meetings with senior management and shop stewards following the latest round of jobs cuts at the firm.
After the meetings, the three men said that they were "fully supportive" of Harland & Wolff's efforts to find a resolution to the company's current financial difficulties, and especially in relation to the sale of land now surplus to its requirements.
In a joint statement the three politicians said that they hoped that the Minister for Employment, Trade and Industry, Sir Reg Empey, and the Minister for Regional Development, Mr Peter Robinson, would agree to the proposals put forward by Harland & Wolff in relation to the sale of this land.
The statement read: "We have received assurances from the management of Harland & Wolff that they are prepared to amend the proposals currently on the table in order to make them more acceptable to the two departments.
"We now will be seeking an urgent meeting with both Sir Reg Empey and Peter Robinson, to discuss the proposals. We would hope that this meeting could be arranged for as early as the middle of the coming week," they added.
The company announced in March that it would be cutting 100 steelworkers and up to 44 other staff in order to cut costs.
In a statement, Harland & Wolff said the cuts had to be made as there was a lack of firm contracts on the order books.
“The company has sought to delay initiating action on redundancies as long as possible, not least as individuals' livelihoods are at stake, and has been in consultations with the trade unions since November 2001 when the potential under-utilisation (of the workforce) was initially identified," the statement read.
“Those employees affected will be notified shortly, with the first tranche of individual notices following thereafter. This is expected to mount to some 85 employees, comprising 75 operators and 10 staff.”
The Harland & Wolff business plan, which is currently being assessed by PricewaterhouseCoopers on behalf of DETI, proposed the sale of land in the lucrative Titanic Quarter which could raise up millions of pounds for company coffers.
(GMcG)
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£5.7m in National Lottery Funding is to go towards two projects to regenerate the former Harland and Wolff Headquarters Building and Drawing Offices in Belfast and the Northern Counties Club building in L'Derry. The investment is part of a UK-wide funding package worth £12m to regenerate five historic buildings back to commercial use.
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