90 jobs to go at Nortel NI operations


30 Mar 2009

Communications giant Nortel has revealed that up to 90 jobs are to go at its Co Antrim-based operation in Newtownabbey.

At its peak, the Northern Irish operation employed 2,000 people. Today, the operation employs 500 workers.

In January, Nortel filed for bankruptcy, and earlier this month saw its Q4 revenues drop by 15pc to US$2.72bn, as market demand for its products fell in the face of the ongoing global recession.

The company, which is struggling to emerge from bankruptcy protection, has seen a 30pc year-over-year decline in revenue in its enterprise business, which it attributed to slower-than-usual demand for its products and services.

Across the world, Nortel is seeking 3,000 redundancies.

The Antrim facility dates back the Sixties, when it was a cable manufacturing operation. Today ,the site is the EMEA supply chain headquarters for Nortel.

Nortel also employs 300 people in Galway, where it has been based since 1973.

By John Kennedy