Call to join Northern Ireland rally for Glen Dimplex workers amid threat to move jobs overseas

A UK union has called an emergency rally in Portadown in response to jobs at Glen Dimplex plant potentially moving overseas to Lithuania.

Unite is hosting the event on Friday, June 28 at St Mark’s Church, Portadown at 12.30pm.

The Glen Dimplex plant, which produces storage heaters and heat pumps, has been employing people in the Portadown area for more than 50 years and was previously known as Unidare.

A UK union has called an emergency rally in Portadown in response to jobs at Glen Dimplex plant potentially moving overseas to Lithuania. Pictured is The Glen Dimplex plant at Lurgan Road, Portadown. Photo courtesy of Google.

In February the firm said it plans to invest €25 million in its Newry site, which will be repurposed into a centre of excellence for the manufacture of zero carbon, renewable heating solutions including heat pumps. However the panel and storage heating manufacturing may be transferring from the group’s sites in Newry and Portadown to a manufacturing site in Lithuania. It is understood the firm plans to close the Portadown plant by December 2025.

According to a Unite spokesperson: “The rally is being held in direct response to 300 workers at Glen Dimplex facing a threat to their livelihoods after management raised the prospect of shutting the Portadown factory with production shifting overseas to Lithuania.

"The union has extended an invitation to all candidates in the general election to attend and address workers and the local community.

“Unite is seeking answers from candidates on what they will do to defend the jobs of manufacturing workers. The Upper Bann area has suffered a loss of hundreds of good jobs in recent years including at Thompson Aerospace and Ulster Carpets in Portadown and Sonoco in Lurgan.”

Regional officer Neil Moore, explained: “The Upper Bann area faces another unacceptable jobs threat with the prospect of Glen Dimplex shuttering its site in Portadown and offshoring production to Lithuania. We simply cannot afford to lose good quality union jobs.

“Workers want to know how it can be so easy for businesses to simply offshore production – destroying livelihoods– all in the interest of making even bigger profits?

“Unite is organising this rally to hear what answers the politicians can offer. Do they back political intervention to save jobs? Will they end the offshoring race-to-the-bottom? What will they do to secure good union jobs in Upper Bann. We need immediate action to secure this area’s long and proud tradition of manufacturing.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, added: “Glen Dimplex should be ashamed of themselves. Plans to offshore work abroad is all about greed and a cynical desire to further boost profits by cutting the wages of the workers producing its goods.

“Unite is not going to accept this latest threat to our members jobs. The union does what it says on the trade union tin and always fights for the jobs, pay and conditions of its members.”

The union is encouraging members of the public and workers in all trade unions to come out and join the rally.

Glen Dimplex has been contacted for a response.