Support Fords Visteon occupiers at the High Court Monday 6th April 2009

[michael gardiner]

April 6th Monday 9.30am at the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. High Court injunction hearing at 10.30am.



WE
will also need people at Enfield as a possibility of people turning up
to take away equipment in factory. People will be needed to prevent
this, but no idea of time at the moment.

Text of leaflet from Visteon Supporters :

Come to the factory anytime! 
Especially around 12 noon 

Morson Road EN3 4TN 
near Ponders End train station, Enfield

The
plant is 5min walk, cross the foot-bridge, walk down main road towards
Central London, the next street to the left is Morson Road, the factory
situated at the end

Statement (below) from some Ford Visteon workers and supporters (from inside the occupied factory)                           


We have occupied our factory
Ford Visteon workers have occupied our 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.
We demand what is due to us
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 payout, and much
reduced conditions! Some of the women and men have 40 yrs 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 our expense.

But 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 at bankers could be profitable & save jobs in the
long term.

All support welcome 
Ford Visteon workers have been pleased at the support received from
other Ford plants as well, such as Southampton, who are blacking
Visteon products. 100s attended our rally on Saturday..

Please
come to the factory at any time (especially 12 noon) to show us your
support. Get your Union branch or organisation to pass a resolution in
support. Help raise money by doing workplace and community collections,
and drop in...

Messages of support to those inside: visteonoccupation at googlemail.com

This is a fight we can win.  We're off our knees and fighting fit!

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