UNION LEADERS in the North say they are hopeful US network group Ciena will retain 128 jobs in Northern Ireland after it officially took control of one of Nortel’s former divisions at midnight.
Ciena, the Baltimore-headquartered network systems manufacturer, was scheduled to complete its acquisition of the failed telecom groups former Metropolitan Ethernet Networks (Men) division last night.
The regional organiser for trade union Unite, Sean Smyth, hopes the Baltimore group will “not pull an Avaya” in the North by closing the Men operations at Monkstown.
Avaya acquired Nortel Enterprise Solutions last year but four weeks after the acquisition Avaya confirmed it had begun a “consultation process” to close the former Nortel division with the loss of 140 jobs.
The concern over Ciena’s future intentions comes as east Belfast suffers yet another potential jobs blow on top of the planned closure of the Hughes Christensen plant which will result in 210 job losses.
CC has confirmed it will terminate a contract with Britvic NI which could put up to 50 jobs in jeopardy. Britvic employs about 150 people in the North at two sites in east Belfast and Omagh.
