Newspaper print site closure a severe blow, union says

The planned closure of a print site in County Armagh will deal a "severe blow to Northern Ireland's newspaper print capacity", a trade union has said.

The Associated Print site at Carn Industrial Estate in Portadown, which is operated by DMG Media, is set to close this autumn.

Sharon Graham, Unite's regional secretary, said it "is totally unacceptable that a viable business and its workers face being thrown on the scrapheap".

"This can and should be a fundamentally viable business," she said.

The union says the closure would occur alongside the proposed shutdown of a printing plant in Cork and "further the centralisation of newspaper production to Britain".

It said it is engaging with members on the next steps to try to keep the Portadown printworks open.

In a statement, DMG Media said: "After extensive review, we are proposing to consolidate our Irish print operations.

"This proposed change would unfortunately result in the closure of our print site in Carn in autumn 2025.

"We are absolutely committed to helping everyone who is affected and supporting them through the process."

However, Unite regional officer Neil Moore said: "If Associated Print pushes ahead with closing this site, it will leave just one newspaper printworks operating in Northern Ireland.

"That's not just a blow to jobs, it's a strategic risk to the print industry and a wider threat to skills.

"If the company won't invest in this workforce or this facility, it should be prepared to stand aside for someone who sees the long-term value in this facility.

"We are pursuing every available option and will not allow these workers to be discarded without a fight."