Bombardier

Belfast has told its

Northern Ireland

workforce that the “UK remaining within the European Union is better” for its aerospace business.

Michael Ryan, Bombardier's vice president and general manager in Northern Ireland, has sent a special memo to the Canadian company's employees highlighting its position on the Brexit debate.

Bombardier is one of the North’s biggest employers with a 5,500 strong workforce, although it intends to axe 1,080 jobs over the next two years. It is an unusual move for a major employer in Northern Ireland to publicly state its position on Brexit.

Although key local business bodies have collectively spoken on behalf of their members few local firms have publicly voiced where their loyalties lie when it comes to the referendum in June. One of the other exceptions to this is the founder of the Ballymena bus company, the Wright Group. William Wright has said he is firmly in the exit camp, but his company has also stated it has no official corporate position on Brexit.

Clarity

According to Bombardier a number of its Northern Ireland staff had asked the company to clarify its position on Brexit and as a result it had decided to clearly outline why in its opinion it believes UK membership of the EU is important for its business.

Bombardier said: "Whilst there are arguments for and against being part of the European Union, Bombardier Belfast's position is that the UK remaining within the EU is better for our aerospace business. Access to integrated European supply chains is critical to our business, and the free movement of goods across Europe contributes significantly to our competitiveness."