Manufacturers in the North will take to the streets of Belfast today in protest at British government plans to make them pay the full rates values of their properties.
A cavalcade of lorries and vans will parade through the city from the Harland and Wolff shipyard to the Waterfront Hall where a rally against the rates plan will be staged.
The Northern Ireland Manufacturing Focus Group's campaign has also attracted the support of the main nationalist, unionist and cross-community parties, and a delegation of politicians will join them later for a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain.
Basil McCrea, Northern Ireland Manufacturing Focus Group spokesman, said the group had real concerns that if Government plans to make companies pay the full rateable value on their properties by 2011 go ahead, it could result in firms leaving the North and 30,000 jobs being shed.
He also claimed the Government had got its sums wrong over the rates, exaggerating the state of Northern Ireland manufacturing's profitability by around £1billion a year.
But Northern Ireland Office finance minister Lord Rooker yesterday claimed the rally was a complete waste of time. He said those involved would be better served running their businesses or, in the politicians' case, forming a devolved administration to change government policy.