[diggers350] Occupation: report from Visteon's Enfield plant

[Simon Fairlie]

The workers would be a bit easier to support if they had a Lucas- 
style proposal for manufacturing something other than planet-trashing  
motor cars — like fuel efficient buses or electrically assisted  
rickshaws.

Simon



On 4 Apr 2009, at 02:37, Gerrard Winstanley wrote:

> Diggers' Day 2009 Occupation:
> report from Visteon's Enfield plant
>
> by Sadie Robinson
> http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=17540
>
> Workers at Visteon's Enfield plant who went into occupation on  
> Wednesday are furious at the way they have been treated by their  
> management.
>
> The site employs over 200 workers producing car parts for Jaguar  
> and Land Rover. On Tuesday workers were called into a meeting at  
> 2pm – and told their jobs were gone.
>
> Around 80 workers occupied the building on Wednesday morning and  
> remained there throughout the day. They are staying overnight. More  
> workers, locked out by the company, stayed outside the site to show  
> their support.
>
> Workers were told that they would not be paid for last week's work  
> at the meeting on Tuesday. Many have no savings and no idea of how  
> they are going to make ends meet over the next few weeks.
>
> "They've treated us like dogs," Richard Bruce, who had worked at  
> the site for 17 years, told Socialist Worker. "We're not even going  
> to get paid for our last week's work or for our work on Monday and  
> Tuesday. But the workers in Ireland occupied – so we thought, now  
> it's our turn to do something."
>
> Many of the workers felt that the attack was preplanned – even  
> though they had no notice of it themselves. Several said that vans  
> from factories supplied by Visteon had taken away their tools from  
> the site last Friday.
>
> One worker, Terry, said, "Even the vending machines were emptied  
> yesterday morning. Everyone knew we were going to be sacked.
>
> "There are parts piled up inside our factory. They've made sure  
> that the car plants can still be supplied – everything's been  
> prepared for this."
>
> Betrayed
>
> Narayan Mitra agreed. "I had a feeling it would close," he told  
> Socialist Worker. "They kept telling us they were making a loss.  
> But then why not do something about it? They've just run it down.  
> I've worked here for over 20 years and I feel betrayed by Ford."
>
> Although the workers are employed by Visteon, the plant used to be  
> owned by Ford until it was sold in 2000. But many workers are still  
> employed on a Ford contract – which includes a promise of no  
> compulsory redundancies.
>
> "I signed the agreement in 2000 to guarantee Ford terms and  
> conditions for these workers," Steve Hart, the regional secretary  
> of the Unite union, told Socialist Worker.
>
> A new management at the site has made several changes over the past  
> few years, introducing shift changes and other initiatives. "My  
> brother works here and he lost £600 a month with the shift  
> changes," said Terry.
>
> "We could have said no to these changes, but we didn't. We've done  
> everything they asked of us – and now they treat us like this. We  
> want what we're owed. And we want to be treated according to our  
> Ford terms and conditions."
>
> Throughout the day trade unionists arrived at the occupation to  
> show solidarity and support. Every trade unionist should rush  
> donations and messages of support to the Visteon workers.
>
> The following should be read alongside this article:
> » Visteon car workers in Belfast occupy against cuts
> » More council workers in Glasgow to be balloted on pay
> » Prisme factory occupation enters its fifth week
> » Visteon protests spread as Enfield workers occupy
> » Picture of workers' occupation at Visteon Enfield
> » Interviews with sacked Visteon workers in Enfield
> » Lifting the lid on Visteon, KPMG and the fat cats behind the cuts
> » Thursday morning at the Visteon occupations
> » Anger and solidarity at Visteon Basildon protest
> » Visteon occupation into third day
>
> Send messages of support to steve.hart at unitetheunion.com
>
> Text messages of support to Des (Basildon) 07814432215 John  
> (Belfast) 07816 590 380 Kevin (Enfield) 07956 375 410.
>
>
>
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