Visteon Factory Occupation: Friday 3rd April Report

Visteon Factory Occupation: Friday 3rd April Report

Article Report to long to fit in this box unfortunately. Read it in Skookum Boom Issue 8. Instead here are some links and a statement from those brave folk inside the factory at Ponders End, Enfield- Ford Visteon workers have occupied the Ponders End factory since Wednesday 1st April. The previous day in a meeting lasting just 6 minutes we were told that the European company, with plants in Belfast, Basildon and Ponders End, Enfield, was going into administration and that we were to leave - without our wages being paid. Personal possessions could be collected the next day, but at 10 o'clock the factory was locked closed. Workers had already occupied the Belfast factory. The 200 workers who are part of the Ford subsidiary want the same conditions they have always had via "mirror contracts" with the parent company. Up to now they don't know when they will get wages due, and their pensions are to be controlled by the government Pensions Protection Fund. This means a maximum of £9,000 a year and much reduced conditions! Some of the women and men have 40 years service! The whole situation has been created for news management - announce it during the G20 and it will get buried in the media. And this is largely what's happened. The move is to save Visteon USA money at the workers expense. Unexpectedly Unite union members have taken determined action that bosses thought they had eliminated years ago. 
The workers want their existing terms respected. Ford Visteon can't be allowed to avoid their responsibility. So far they have tried legal intimidation but have even managed to mess this up. As well as proper redundancy payments, some are suggesting that the skills of the workers who can make anything in plastic, should be used to make increasingly needed parts for green products - bike and trailer parts, solar panels, turbines, etc. Government investment in this rather than throwing money away to bankers could be profitable and save jobs in the long term. Ford Visteon workers have been pleased at the support received from other Ford plants as well, such as Southampton, who are blacking Visteon products. Come to the factory in Morson Road, near Ponders End train station, to show your support. Join a support protest on Saturday 4th April 10am-11am.

Get your Union branch to pass a resolution in support, and help raise money by workplace collections. This is a fight we can win. We're off our knees and fighting fit!

Updates from inside factory-

http://twitter.com/visteonworker

Reports & Info-

http://www.thestreetsareours.net/read.php?pid=217
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7977758.stm
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1049
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1043
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1037
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=51da6aad90d484b9d4f0604e0133b91b&gi...

Events to support-

http://london.indymedia.org.uk/events/1062
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/events/1063
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/events/1064
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/events/1065
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/events/1204

Songs used in video-
Carry Me (Levellers)
Squat 96 (UK Subs)

Thanks,
SB.
http://www.skookumboom.co.uk/

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Visteon
• Factory
• Occupation
• Friday
• 3rd
• April
• Workers
• Unity
• Enfield
• Basildon
• Belfast
• Direct
• Action
• Unite
• Unison
• TUC
• Section
• Six
• Squatters
• Rights
• Fight
• Back
• People
• Not
• Profit
• Police
• Bailiffs
• Security
• Solidarity
• Ford
• Car
• Parts
• Strike
• Struggle
• Skookum
• Boom

[sexsexboy]

hope they where good boys runin in

[sexsexboy]

well done to the ppl who food droped ,

[LaughingMan0X]

There's no war like class war.

[MaximumIntergrity1]

Good luck to Visteon Workers. You are fighting a very dangerous state culture - keep it up!

[joeyaboyye]

joe here from visteon in belfast keep it up lads, we are all together in this u have our support....