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| JTI Gallaher: Ballymena factory staff given time off to absorb closure news | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Staff at a cigarette plant in County Antrim have been given time off to absorb the news that all 877 jobs are to be lost. | |
| On Tuesday, staff were told the JTI Gallaher cigarette factory plant in Ballymena is to close permanently by 2017. | On Tuesday, staff were told the JTI Gallaher cigarette factory plant in Ballymena is to close permanently by 2017. |
| Previously known as Gallahers, the firm has manufactured tobacco in Northern Ireland for more then 150 years. | Previously known as Gallahers, the firm has manufactured tobacco in Northern Ireland for more then 150 years. |
| The first and deputy first ministers said it was "terrible news". | |
| Full production will resume on Thursday although office staff are still working and the factory is open. | |
| JTI Gallaher said because many workers had been left shocked by the news, there was a safety issue around the operation of equipment. | |
| It is a major employer and its closure is a significant blow to the economy. | It is a major employer and its closure is a significant blow to the economy. |
| It is estimated that the plant in Ballymena contributed £60m in wages to the local economy. | |
| 'Tsunami' | |
| Management at the factory said there was "shock and tears" as staff were told the news at a series of meetings. | Management at the factory said there was "shock and tears" as staff were told the news at a series of meetings. |
| Des Blackadder, editor of the Ballymena Times, said when the news broke it came like a "tsunami". | |
| "It brought a wave of depression to this town because anybody with any common sense and certainly the workers knew that Gallahers' lifetime wasn't infinite, it was going to come to an end at some stage. But when it did come to an end yesterday, it really came with a great deal of shock," he said. | |
| "There were many many ashen faces in Ballymena." | |
| He said the impact of the losses would be felt by many in the town. | |
| "The vast majority of people in Ballymena would have had a relative who worked in Gallahers or would have known several friends who worked in Gallahers, so it's something which affects an entire community," he added. | |
| Restructuring | |
| The Ballymena factory is currently owned by Japan Tobacco International (JTI), which took over in 2007. | The Ballymena factory is currently owned by Japan Tobacco International (JTI), which took over in 2007. |
| JTI released a statement on Tuesday announcing its intention to "restructure its manufacturing facilities as a result of significant and sustained changes impacting its global business". | JTI released a statement on Tuesday announcing its intention to "restructure its manufacturing facilities as a result of significant and sustained changes impacting its global business". |
| It has proposed moving its existing plants in Northern Ireland and Belgium to other countries, such as Poland and Romania. | It has proposed moving its existing plants in Northern Ireland and Belgium to other countries, such as Poland and Romania. |
| Leading politicians have pledged to support the workers and said they would work to try to mitigate the job losses. | Leading politicians have pledged to support the workers and said they would work to try to mitigate the job losses. |