Daewoo job losses severe blow for Antrim - Ford

5.25.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th Aug 2006

Alliance Party Leader, David Ford

Alliance Party Leader and South Antrim Assembly member David Ford has said the 205 job losses at the Daewoo video recorder manufacturing plant in Antrim are a severe blow for the town - and an alert that Northern Ireland cannot take jobs for granted.

David Ford stated: "Clearly our first thoughts are with the families of over 200 people who now face an uncertain future. Many people in the town face a difficult few months, and it is up to us with influence to try to ensure jobs come to the town to suit the skills of those now out of work.

"Despite the decline of the Daewoo factory, Antrim can now offer people with on-the-job skills, and we must push for new investment to come to the town on that basis.

"With record high levels of employment and record low levels of unemployment, Northern Ireland is in a strong economic position in some way, but this is a warning that we cannot take jobs for granted. We in Alliance have already been the driving force behind putting sensible economics at the centre of our political process, and we will continue to push for those things which will bring jobs and confidence to people in Antrim and across Northern Ireland."

ENDS