Belfast's Harland & Wolf shipyard is under threat of closure it no new orders can be won before the mid sum- from mer. In recent years the yard has possibie specialised in the building of rigs and vessels for the offdemand in this by the Norwegian managers of the yard to tender for a Two" failed, leaving in its WarC# wee 0888tion.
The yard was privatised sold Fred Olsen merely Industries in 1989. Some 1,800 workers been workforce. tive redundancy notice, meaning layoffs could begin by the middle of June and be completed in a matter of Pessimism During the past months the mood of the workforce has turned from optimism to pessimism. For a while there persisted workforce. somehow manage to muddle through the looming order DOOK CrISES was The yard has faced crises in though cach time with a opers. reduced workforce. It had by injections of government subsidy and orders for ships. Cunard liner Contros French was believed that a ministry of 8,500 rally follow.
Howerer even though the government is due to put up for tender several orders for VOSSOS. SCCH more likely to go to BAE in Glasgow There is little sign so far that Blair's governmentis preparing a compreHarland's and a cloud of doom now hangs over the The workers at the shipyard seem unsure as to what jobs. Reports in the financial press talk of Harland's being close to winning new ordeis public acoate On United States Rumours working class Borders have seem union officials to play down Instead union leaders have drawn up a no strike flexible Sion working time package in the the company management expressed win new orders. Some work. Thatcherite ers still believe that managementis artificially playing hand to get away implementing a cost cutting 08808488O OEC At a public meeting organisca by tae swr in beirass about 40 workers turned out loyalism. to discuss what to do. but unfortunately only one official from the vard has was torn between taking to the company's efforts to win new orders the cost of reduced conditions for the One interesting fact tarian However that the docks area would be worth tens of millions if sold to private develappraisal Clyde struggle The SWP called for the workers to follow the exam 1971 who organised a 'worl One disappointins feature of the situation so far has been the level of dishonesty in the the one hand some