LONDON \u2014 British Prime Minister Theresa May said she was \u201cbitterly disappointed\u201d with the U.S. government\u2019s decision to slap duties of almost 220 percent on Bombardier\u2019s C Series aircraft, which threatens more than 4,000 jobs in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
May took to Twitter to vow she\u2019ll work with the Montreal-based company to protect jobs. The prime minister had previously lobbied President Donald Trump after U.S. aircraft-maker Boeing alleged that Bombardier used unfair government subsidies to sell planes at artificially low prices. May has a key alliance with Northern Ireland\u2019s Democratic Unionist Party to support her minority government in Parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defense Secretary Michael Fallon warned Boeing that its behavior \u201ccould jeopardize\u201d future U.K. defense contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But unions accused the prime minister of failing to protect workers. Ross Murdoch, the GMB union\u2019s national officer, said the ruling was a \u201chammer blow\u201d to Belfast, where Bombardier makes aircraft wings and fuselages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTheresa May has been asleep at the wheel when she could and should have been fighting to protect these workers,\u201d Murdoch said. \u201cIt\u2019s high time she woke up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday ruled in favor of Boeing, saying \u201cthe subsidization of goods by foreign governments is something that the Trump Administration takes very seriously.\u201d The department is scheduled to issue a final ruling in the case on Dec. 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\t