Caterpillar cuts 35 Northern Ireland jobs

Caterpillar employs more than 2,000 people in County Antrim at plants in Larne, west Belfast and Monkstown

Thirty-five jobs are to go at the Northern Ireland operations of Caterpillar, the company has said.

The US engineering firm employs about 2,000 people across its County Antrim plants at Larne, west Belfast and Monkstown.

Caterpillar staff were told on Wednesday about the restructuring of its electric power division.

The company said the job losses are across staff and agency positions.

In a statement, the firm said the move was to "better align its organisational structure, resulting in a more efficient and competitive business model".

Jobs are also being lost at Caterpillar plants in Illinois and Georgia.

Davy Thompson, regional co-ordinating officer for the Unite union, said it was "yet another blow to our manufacturing sector".