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2019 Bidders For Harland Number Of Agency Workers

21st, Drops By 11%

August And Wolff ‘Valid And

| Credible’, Says MP
EXAMINER

IRISH

There has been an 11% drop in the number of agency
workers in the last 12 months, a report has revealed.
Around 50,400 employees reported being agency staff at
the beginning of 2019, accounting for 2.6% of all workers in
the state, and down from 3.1% at the beginning of last year.
The proportion of employees who reported not being an
agency worker was 97.4%, up from 96.9% a year earlier,
according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The results also showed that agency workers are more
wo bids to buy Belfast’s uation of a temporary unpaid Belfast skyline, employed more
struggling shipyard are lay-off of the workforce to facil- than 30,000 people during likely to be women.
Of the 50,400 employees who were agency workers in
T“valid and credible”, the itate ongoing “positive discus- Belfast’s industrial heyday but the first three months of the year, 52% (26,200) were
localMPhassaid. sions” with would-be buyers. that workforce numbered only women.
Harland and Wolff built the While the workers are no around 125 when the company Over two in every five agency workers were aged 15-34
doomed Titanic along with a longer getting paid, the lay-off went into administration. years
host of other ocean liners and means their contracts of The business had diversified This compares with an overall even split of all employ-
helped supply the Second employment remain unbroken. away from shipbuilding in the ees in the state sector of 50% each for males and females.
World War effort, but recently Mr Robinson confirmed the last two decades and until The greater share, almost 60%, of the fall of 6,200 in the
suffered financial challenges administrators had secured two recently had primarily worked number of agency workers was accounted for by men.
and entered administration, bids from valid and credible bid- on wind energy and marine The number of employees who reported as being an
threatening around 125 jobs. ders who wanted to invest in engineering projects. agency worker was 50,400 a decrease of 6,200 (11.0%) from
DUP East Belfast MP Gavin the yard and the process was Known around the world for the beginning of last year.
Robinson met administrators continuing. building the White Star liner Just over a quarter (26.8%) of agency workers were
from BDO Northern Ireland on He said: “The process the Titanic, which sank on its maid- employed in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, industry and
construction sectors – up from 21.2% in 2018.
Monday. administrator is going through en trans-Atlantic voyage in 1912 The human health and social work activities sector
He said: “It is incredibly is the right one. He is out in the after striking an iceberg, accounted for 17.9% of agency workers, while all other eco-
encouraging to hear that not market, he has sought valid Harland and Wolff was one of nomic sectors combined accounted for more than half of all
only is there private interest but bids. the UK’s key industrial produc- agency workers.
there is investment potential, “There is investment there ers during the Second World CSO statistician Jim Dalton said: “This report presents
that the bidders recognize the for Harland and Wolff interest- War, supplying almost 150 war- results of an analysis of employees who self-reported as
skills and the assets of Harland ed in securing not only the ships. being in the paid employment of an employment agency in
and Wolff shipyard and want to assets but the skilled workforce Its workers, who have occu- Q1 (first quarter) 2019 and are thus referred to as agency
run it as a going concern. that we know Harland and pied the site 24/7 for weeks as workers.
“So, from that perspective, Wolff has, and that is a positive part of a high-profile campaign “Key findings show that there were 50,400 agency work-
the administrators outlined a thing. to save their jobs, have called ers in the first quarter of 2019 and these accounted for 2.6%
very positive mood in the meet- “It is something we want to on the Government to step in of all employees in the state.
“Over two in every five agency workers were aged 15-34
ing today.” continue our engagement with to rescue the operation through years.
Mr Robinson added: “The the administrator and the nationalization. “Geographically, a similar proportion of agency workers
administrator is going to have unions on, and make sure we Britain’s Prime Minister live in the southern (41.1%) or eastern and midland (44.0%)
to take the next number of secure the future for Harland Boris Johnson has been urged regions.
weeks to drill through those and Wolff.” to follow the lead of the “Almost two in every five agency workers reported that
bids and to work with those Famed for building the Scottish Government, which they work 40 hours or more per week (38.5%), while just
bidders to secure a positive Titanic, the shipyard went into has intervened to save the over seven in 10 (72.0%) reported themselves as being in
future for the yard.” administration recently after its Ferguson Marine shipbuilding full-time employment.
Those overseeing the troubled Norwegian parent yard in Glasgow. “Agency workers (38.5%) were over two times more
process recently allowed fur- company, Dolphin Drilling, The British Government likely than all employees (18.3%) to report their duration of
ther time to explore potential failed to find a buyer. has resisted calls for direct employment as being under one year.
rescue deals for the famous The shipbuilder, whose action at Harland and Wolff, “Agency workers (28.0%) were also over three times
shipyard. famous yellow cranes Samson claiming its troubles are a more likely to report themselves as being in temporary
BDO announced the contin- and Goliath dominate the commercial issue. C employment compared to all employees (9.0%).” C