Sinn Féin MLA John O’Dowd has urged management at Thompson’s Aero Seating in Portadown to review its lay-off of 350 workers so staff involved can avail of emergency salary protection schemes. 

The Upper Bann MLA said: 

“350 workers will now be laid off at Thompson’s Aero Seating in Portadown with the company acknowledging that the lay-offs are a direct result of the COVID-19 crisis. 

“These workers have been let go when the company could and should have accessed the government’s Furlough scheme for salary protection during this emergency. 

“They now face huge uncertainty when the company could have secured 80% of their wages.

“I call on management at Thompson’s, even at this eleventh hour, to release these workers under the Furlough scheme rather than laying them off.”