Bombardier’s railway division says that hundreds of workers could be laid off at its plant in La Pocatiere, Quebec if orders or contracts do not come in.
According to reports, Bombardier could be laying off nearly 600 workers when its contract to make new metro cars for Montreal’s metro system expires.
Bombardier also suffered a loss when it was recently not selected to supply trains for the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) of Montreal.
“We understand and share the disappointment of our employees with this announcement. Bombardier has been providing innovative transportation solutions in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada for nearly 45 years,” said Bombardier president Benoît Brossoit, in a statement regarding the company’s REM rejection.
“As a world leader in providing automated transportation systems and services,and in the operation of public transport fleets, we believe that we have submitted a highly competitive offer to meet the sustainable mobility needs of the greater Montreal area.”
Elected officials and Bombardier held a joint meeting on February 19 to discuss the dire situation at the La Pocatiere plant.
Les élus du Kamouraska et les travailleurs demandent une rencontre avec le premier ministre Philippe Couillard concernant l’avenir de l’usine de Bombardier à La Pocatière pic.twitter.com/Btr9KEQCaG
— Jasmin Dumas (@JasminDumas) February 19, 2018
They called on Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard to step in and take action for the future of the plant and its workers.