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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Job cuts at engineering company | Job cuts at engineering company |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| An engineering company is to close 69 posts at its plant in Newtownabbey, County Antrim. | An engineering company is to close 69 posts at its plant in Newtownabbey, County Antrim. |
| Schlumberger, which makes equipment for the oil industry, said it did not know how many people faced redundancy. | Schlumberger, which makes equipment for the oil industry, said it did not know how many people faced redundancy. |
| The company, which currently employs 300 people at the factory, said the cuts were because of reduced activity in the oilfield services sector. | The company, which currently employs 300 people at the factory, said the cuts were because of reduced activity in the oilfield services sector. |
| A spokesperson said staff were told of the cuts in July and that redundancies would come into affect in September. | A spokesperson said staff were told of the cuts in July and that redundancies would come into affect in September. |
| Schlumberger employs more than 82,000 people worldwide. | Schlumberger employs more than 82,000 people worldwide. |
| It has announced two rounds of cuts in response to the global recession, shedding around 10,000 jobs. | It has announced two rounds of cuts in response to the global recession, shedding around 10,000 jobs. |
| Upturn | Upturn |
| Terry Collins, regional organiser for the Unite union said: "The factory concentrates primarily on the oil industry and unfortunately there is a glut of oil on the international markets and demand for oil field equipment is down. | Terry Collins, regional organiser for the Unite union said: "The factory concentrates primarily on the oil industry and unfortunately there is a glut of oil on the international markets and demand for oil field equipment is down. |
| "It has been slack from the start of the year, they had expanded over the last two and a half to three years and they had invested heavily in the site. | "It has been slack from the start of the year, they had expanded over the last two and a half to three years and they had invested heavily in the site. |
| "When oil was $150 a barrel there was high demand for their products, but prices have bottomed out." | "When oil was $150 a barrel there was high demand for their products, but prices have bottomed out." |
| Mr Collins said the company had indicated they expected an upturn in demand in 2010. | Mr Collins said the company had indicated they expected an upturn in demand in 2010. |
| But he said: "These are highly skilled jobs and when they are lost it is often difficult to to get them back again." | But he said: "These are highly skilled jobs and when they are lost it is often difficult to to get them back again." |
| He is meeting management for discussions on the job cuts on Thursday and said he was not confident of being able to reduce the number of redundancies. | He is meeting management for discussions on the job cuts on Thursday and said he was not confident of being able to reduce the number of redundancies. |