Northern Irish Nortel plant could face axe

Northern Ireland Assembly members have been criticised for giving workers "false hope"

Avaya is considering closing Nortel's enterprise manufacturing operations in Newtownabbey, County Antrim, with 140 workers facing redundancy.

Avaya bought Nortel's enterprise arm for $900m (£566m) in September, with the deal closing in December. About 6,000 employees worldwide joined Avaya as part of the deal, with clauses guaranteeing that at least three-quarters would keep their job.

Having bought a 34-acre site at Monkstown in 1992, Nortel's EMEA supply chain operations have long been run from Northern Ireland. The site employs about 350 people, about 40 per cent of which were transferred to Avaya in December.

Avaya has issued the following statement: “Avaya has entered a consultation process following the strategic business decision to potentially close the Monkstown office.”

The news comes less than a year after 87 workers at the plant were made redundant. At the time, local political and business representatives told the Newtownabbey Times the job losses were "a massive blow" to the area.

Unite has reacted with dismay to Avaya's announcement, hitting out at Arlene Foster, the Northern Ireland Assembly's minister of enterprise, trade and investment. The union has also claimed

The union's regional organiser Sean Smyth told the Belfast Telegraph Foster was guilty of giving "false hope" to Monkstown workers.

"Unless our politicians get the finger out, whatever hope there is at this site will be lost," he added. "The owners will pack their bags, turn the light off and head home."
Unite has also claimed the knock-on effect of closing the Monkstown site could result in many more regional job losses at Nortel's suppliers.