I always knew that the incredible workforce of the Harland and Wolff shipyard would fight for and win the future that its community wholeheartedly deserves. Their nine-week occupation of their iconic yard, supported by their trade unions, has not only secured a buyer, with investment and a programme of future work, but will be remembered by generations of workers to come as evidence of the power of collective action.

They stood strong and resolute while others were ready to throw in the towel. The government said the yard wasn’t viable, had fallen foul of a “commercial decision,” but its workforce always knew that given time to continue trading as a going concern, a suitable buyer could be found.

And they were right. Backed by their community and with their unions standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them, those workers stood firm to ensure that Harland and Wolff now has the fighting chance of the secure future it deserves.

With grit and determination they have saved their shipyard and, in doing so, have provided a beacon of hope to workers everywhere.

And so I want to pay tribute to every single one of our members and their fantastic shop stewards for never giving up, and for the wonderful and touching solidarity our movement and this community has shown in this epic fight.

This is trade unionism at its best – focused and driven, putting working people first.  It has been a huge test of determination but now hundreds of workers at this yard and thousands more throughout the supply chain can breathe more easily.

But there’s work to do. We have a shipyard to get back up and running to its full potential. In the coming days the unions will continue to meet with Infrastrata, the yard’s new owners, and we will seek to secure an outlook that puts the community first and eliminates the insecurity that it has been forced to endure in recent weeks.

Importantly, the workforce will soon be back at work with a real pride in themselves, supporting their families and wider communities, putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads through skilled work. As well as safeguarding their own futures, they have sent a message that will be heard across Northern Ireland, most immediately by Wrightbus workers in Ballymena who are fighting to save their jobs.

I welcome the “delight” expressed by Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith at Harland and Wolff’s news. He says he firmly believes that the shipyard has a promising future and InfraStrata’s plans present an exciting opportunity for both Belfast and Northern Ireland’s manufacturing and energy sectors.

It’s right that he recognises this now, but my message to those in government and in power is this: trust working people, the communities you are asked to represent and their unions. We will never give up, we will always fight for our future and you should do so too. I urge you to learn from the courage, vision and inspiration of this community.  Support us, don’t ignore us, whenever we seek solidarity and meaningful support.

We want only peace, security and a just future for our communities.