Visteon car workers in UK (was Belfast) occupy against cuts
- Thread starter mutley
- Start date
Two videos on the Basildon occupation.
Hundreds of workers occupy three Visteon car manufacturing factories in Britain after the management closed them down, laying off the entire workforce with no notice, violating their contracts. This is reminiscent of the factory occupations of the 1970s. Here
On Monday 6th April 2009, seven days after occupying their factory in Basildon, Essex, the Visteon car plant workers decide to give their former boss, Steve Gawne, a visit at his country manor to hand-deliver a letter demanding justice be served. Here
Hundreds of workers occupy three Visteon car manufacturing factories in Britain after the management closed them down, laying off the entire workforce with no notice, violating their contracts. This is reminiscent of the factory occupations of the 1970s. Here
On Monday 6th April 2009, seven days after occupying their factory in Basildon, Essex, the Visteon car plant workers decide to give their former boss, Steve Gawne, a visit at his country manor to hand-deliver a letter demanding justice be served. Here
dennisr
the acceptable face
just to reiterate - both worth watching - excellent, powerful stuff - thanks for the links
"33 Years working and 1 minutes notice"
not sure about 400 but rest pretty accurate
Support Group being set up tonight at 7pm at the Phoenix Millenium Centre 386 West Green Road N15 3QL ( corner of Vincent Rd)
the strategy now will be one of picketing so numbers money etc will be even more important
check the facebooks and http://libcom.org/tags/visteon-occupation for more details
Visteon workers in Enfield, having been threatened with mass arrest by a court order, agree to leave peacefully under the recommendation of the union on April 9, 2009. Some workers feel that ending the occupation is a mistake, despite an agreement by the Visteon management to enter into negotiations. Here.
It's quite something!
It's quite something!
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
FORD VISTEON SOLIDARITY GATHERING/RALLY ENFIELD
SATURDAY 18th APRIL - 11am
At the Enfield Factory
Morson Rd (Gate 5), EN3 4NQ - nr Ponders End train station, Enfield
[The plant is 5mins walk across the footbridge, southwards down the main road and turn left into Morson Rd]
Following the insulting and unacceptable offer from Visteon this week the sacked workers are stepping up their 24/7 picket of the Enfield factory. The Belfast and Basildon Visteon workers have also rejected the offer. Now more than ever they need support and solidarity for their decision to continue their struggle for justice.
Come along to find out what is happening at the factory and what people can do to help step up the campaign.
The Fight Goes On!
Gathering/Rally called by the Ford Visteon Workers Support Group. ( Enfield)
SATURDAY 18th APRIL - 11am
At the Enfield Factory
Morson Rd (Gate 5), EN3 4NQ - nr Ponders End train station, Enfield
[The plant is 5mins walk across the footbridge, southwards down the main road and turn left into Morson Rd]
Following the insulting and unacceptable offer from Visteon this week the sacked workers are stepping up their 24/7 picket of the Enfield factory. The Belfast and Basildon Visteon workers have also rejected the offer. Now more than ever they need support and solidarity for their decision to continue their struggle for justice.
Come along to find out what is happening at the factory and what people can do to help step up the campaign.
The Fight Goes On!
Gathering/Rally called by the Ford Visteon Workers Support Group. ( Enfield)
no ... simply .. it is wierd i have to say .. the dispute is pretty well being left to die by the unions
Urbanblues
Was that it, life?
Really? So, what about the £10,000 donated to the Visteon dispute fund today by Unite's Region 1 Regional Committee; and, the appeal that's going out to the hundreds of Branches in the Region.
Just another case of callous trade union abandonment of workers in struggle.
dennisr
the acceptable face
London Socialist Party
All-London public meeting
Thursday 23rd April, 7.30pm
Support the visteon workers
Speakers:
Frank Jepson Unite Convenor at Basildon Visteon and NO2EU candidate in European elections in Eastern Region and Brian Denny (editor of RMT journal and main RMT organizer for the NO2EU campaign
Kevin Nolan Unite Convenor at Enfield Visteon
Rob Williams Unite convenor at Linamar Swansea
Speakers invited from workers at Visteon Belfast
(all in personal capacity)
Venue:
Room 101 University of London Union (ULU)
Malet Street London WC1E 7HY
Neaest tubes: Euston and Euston Square
All-London public meeting
Thursday 23rd April, 7.30pm
Support the visteon workers
Speakers:
Frank Jepson Unite Convenor at Basildon Visteon and NO2EU candidate in European elections in Eastern Region and Brian Denny (editor of RMT journal and main RMT organizer for the NO2EU campaign
Kevin Nolan Unite Convenor at Enfield Visteon
Rob Williams Unite convenor at Linamar Swansea
Speakers invited from workers at Visteon Belfast
(all in personal capacity)
Venue:
Room 101 University of London Union (ULU)
Malet Street London WC1E 7HY
Neaest tubes: Euston and Euston Square
dennisr
the acceptable face
Updates on Vistreon struggle and continuing Belfast occupation:
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/latest/7180
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/7187
"It is this action, including initial sit-ins at Enfield and Basildon that forced Visteon corporate management from the US to come to London last Wednesday to talk to the workers they sacked on March 31st. However, their 'offer' was derisory - 90 days pay on top of their Government statutory redundancy.
Quite rightly, this has been rejected and the struggle stepped up. Now the Visteon workers have to turn towards the Ford plants for active support, particularly Bridgend and Dagenham engine plants. The Ford Convenors and senior stewards met last Thursday and reiterated their support for these workers who were mainly Ford workers when Visteon was created by Ford in 2000."
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/latest/7180
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/7187
"It is this action, including initial sit-ins at Enfield and Basildon that forced Visteon corporate management from the US to come to London last Wednesday to talk to the workers they sacked on March 31st. However, their 'offer' was derisory - 90 days pay on top of their Government statutory redundancy.
Quite rightly, this has been rejected and the struggle stepped up. Now the Visteon workers have to turn towards the Ford plants for active support, particularly Bridgend and Dagenham engine plants. The Ford Convenors and senior stewards met last Thursday and reiterated their support for these workers who were mainly Ford workers when Visteon was created by Ford in 2000."
Udo Erasmus
Well-Known Member
URGENT! ROB WILLIAMS WAS SACKED THIS AFTERNOON!
Just got this on email
DEFEND ROB WILLIAMS - SWANSEA TRADE UNIONIST SACKED FOR DEFENDING JOBS
Rush messages of support to [email protected] (copy in [email protected]) or text 07816 134690.
Over one hundred workers have downed tools in protest against the sacking of their union convenor in South Wales. Rob Williams, a well known trade union militant and socialist working at the Linamar factory in Swansea, was summoned before management and summarily dismissed this afternoon.
The factory was formerly owned by Visteon until it was sold to the Canadian car parts manufacturer Linamar Corporation in 2007. The management have accepted that Rob has not broken any rules and that the dismissal was due to a “breakdown of trust and confidence.”
In response, Rob has locked himself in the trade union office and the workforce has walked off the line to defend him.
Rob told Socialist Worker, “It’s not accidental that this happens at the same time that Visteon workers are being attacked. It’s a disgrace that it is legal for these companies to act in such a way, yet those workers who are taking action to defend their convenor are supposedly breaking the law.”
“The trade union movement has to stop pussyfooting around these anti-trade union laws and fight to defend workers. They should stop funding New Labour to the tune of £13 million every two years when they allow these Tory rules to remain in place.”
“They’ve said that it is impossible to run the plant with me as a convenor. What they mean is it’s impossible to run a plant with a union that defends its members.”
Activists fear that Rob’s dismissal is just the next step in an attempt to close the factory down. Around 140 workers have been made redundant in the past six months.
One Unite rep in Swansea told Socialist Worker, “Visteon farmed out Swansea to Linamar because they were worried the workforce would not take mass lay-offs lying down. Linamar sweetened the pill with big redundancy settlements for the first lot to go. Now it looks like they want to go in for the kill.”
The incredible solidarity received by Visteon workers taking action in Enfield, Basildon and Belfast shows that people across Britain are furious with the government’s inaction in the face of massive job cuts. Every trade unionist must support Rob and the Linamar workers. An injury one is an injury to all – we need unity in the fight for jobs.
dennisr
the acceptable face
Video: Support the Visteon workers - Visteon Workers speak for themselves
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/latest/7207
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/latest/7207
The picket of KPMG this Friday is going ahead, from 3pm-5pm. Please send call-outs to your lists and networks and start publicising this straight away.
The picket will be outside the KPMG UK headquarters:
8 Salisbury Square
London
EC4Y 8BB
http://www.kpmg.co.uk/
It is being held after the May Day march as more people said they would be able to come if so. We will make small flyers to give out on the march urging people to join the picket-
The picket will be outside the KPMG UK headquarters:
8 Salisbury Square
London
EC4Y 8BB
http://www.kpmg.co.uk/
It is being held after the May Day march as more people said they would be able to come if so. We will make small flyers to give out on the march urging people to join the picket-
yes better late than never .. but this is very late ..
Urbanblues
Was that it, life?
Fuck off. The Visteon people didn't say it was too late. Kevin Nolan wasn't complaining when I spoke to him on Saturday.
Cunts like you complain for the sake of complaining.
language language! lol ( and sorry who the fuck are you? aah a Unite fulltimer i see
).. the dispute started on 31st March .. and Unite finally get support to them a month later? .. the workers up there have been complained pretty well all the since about the lack of support from Unite .. you clearly have not been speaking to them .. and Kevin is too diplomatic or not in a position to complain about it ..
Unite did not want this dispute, they did not even put the occupation on their website, they threatened the workers out of the factory when they were better off in there, they have failed to get the industrial support the workers need and are now trying a moral campaign which probably will not work ( meaning they get all of what they want and deserve) and they waited till now to get desperately needed money to the workers ( who have been supported in the mean times by the likes of me and north london comrades from various political currents who have been there from the off )
and before you think i am anti union type i am not .. i am a shop steward and have been for over mostly 25 years inc in that time for the TnG .. and in all that i have never have a decent set of union leaders
btw it looks as if a deal may have been done today between Visteon and Unite .. visteon uk need the go ahead from visteon usa and Unite need support from the 3 plants .. seems belfast will be the most unlikely to support it
I have just had a text saying " Visteon workers in complete victory. All demands met - a full year's wages, full pay for entirety of strike etc. And they're not calling off the strike until the money's in their accounts!"
Anyone able to confirm this?
Excellent news if it's true
Anyone able to confirm this?
Excellent news if it's true
I have just had a text saying " Visteon workers in complete victory. All demands met - a full year's wages, full pay for entirety of strike etc. And they're not calling off the strike until the money's in their accounts!"
Anyone able to confirm this?
Excellent news if it's true
see above .. visteon usa have to agree but they way i heard it belfast might 'not agree the deal which suggests it isn't all they wanted
Urbanblues
Was that it, life?
Who the are you, some SWPer promising the Visteon people 77 virgins in paradise if they kick start the revolution.
Plank!
I have just had a text saying " Visteon workers in complete victory. All demands met - a full year's wages, full pay for entirety of strike etc. And they're not calling off the strike until the money's in their accounts!"
Anyone able to confirm this?
Excellent news if it's true
'Latest on #Visteon win: 64 weeks redundancy on top of statuary; payout in lieu of notice; backpay of pay rise... Occupation works!'
from a very good source
I'm swp durruti isnt.
Urbanblues
Was that it, life?
Please, accept my commiserations.
you are being a dick .. i am nothing of the sort .. i am the type who believes in solidarity with no strings .. and the fact remains Unite have let these people down
dennisr
the acceptable face
Great Qoute in the article:
“We have realised our power now,” added Marcia. “At first when we were sacked, we just went home as we thought we couldn’t do anything. But then you get home and look at your kids and think, how am I going to feed them?
“You realise you have to fight. When we’re in a group we can move mountains.”
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