Jobs task force required

PACEMAKER BELFAST 3/11/2015
Workers at The Michelin tyre factory in Ballymena, County Antrim, receive news that the factory will close in 2018 with the loss of 860 jobs. The Ballymena factory produced its first tyre in December 1969 and produces about one million bus and truck tyres per year, The Michelin company have been warning for a number of years about the threat to the future of the Ballymena plant caused by high energy costs.
Picture Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press — PACEMAKER BELFAST 3/11/2015 Workers at The Michelin tyre factory in Ballymena, County Antrim, receive news that the factory will close in 2018 with the loss of 860 jobs. The Ballymena factory produced its first tyre in December 1969 and produces about one million bus and truck tyres per year, The Michelin company have been warning for a number of years about the threat to the future of the Ballymena plant caused by high energy costs. Picture Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

“It appears that production costs in Ballymena along with market competition has rendered the factory no longer viable. I will be calling for the formation of a task force to be made up of all the relevant groups to ensure that for those workers who want to find other work, every assistance possible is provided. This is a dark day for Ballymena as we come to terms with this news, however, as an elected representative I will do everything within my power to ensure that new opportunities are created.”