Protest Outside Visteon Factory - Thursday 9 April 11 am

Protest in support of the workers' occupation of the Visteon factory at 11 am Thursday 9th April.

The factory is 5 minutes walk from Ponders End station.

About the occupation:

Workers at 3 UK car parts plants are fighting back against brutal lay offs last week.

The media has largely ignored the occupation of the factory in Enfield north London to concentrate on the G20 protests. Unsurprising, but nevertheless these workers deserve the attention and assistance of the world.

They are showing that it is possible to collectively resist peremptory sackings and to asset basic rights in the face of the lie that 'we all have to take a little pain for the system to get better'.

If they win a better deal it will prove the importance and viability of fighting back for workers in general. They have already forced the employers to negotiate and that is something they would never have achieved without getting together and occupying the factory.

With massive attacks on workers already in the offing globally and huge waves of redundancies planned in the US, UK and beyond, the outcome of this struggle will have ramifications for workers everywhere.

SOME VIDEOS FROM THE OCCUPIED FACTORY:

Enfield - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsADugY9maoEnfield & Basildon - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUXFyoLgmRE&feature... - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSExEO6utZ0&feature...

MORE INFO:

The following statement is being sent out to workers at Ford plants and gives some more background:

Visteon workers’ occupation needs your solidarity to win

FORD Visteon car parts workers in Enfield, North London, have occupied our factory since Wednesday 1 April. The Belfast site is also in occupation.

On Tuesday 31 March, in a meeting lasting just six minutes, we were told that the company was going into administration and that we were to leave without our wages being paid.

We demand justice and we need the support of Ford workers to win.

Until 2000 Visteon workers were part of Ford, and when the new company was formed we were told that we would have full Ford contracts. Documents given to staff at the time of the split told them they would not lose out. To the question, “How long are our pay and conditions guaranteed?”, the company answered: “For the duration of your employment with Visteon UK, your terms and conditions . . . will mirror Ford conditions. This means lifetime protection while an employee of Visteon UK of all your contractual conditions of employment.”

All that has now been ripped up as we have been dumped without company redundancy pay, the chance of transfer, pensions, or consultation.

Other internal documents revealed in the Sunday Times show Visteon UK’s management was preparing for the closure of the Belfast plant as early as January 2007. A report entitled Project Protea discusses the development of “duplicate sources for all the Belfast product lines by the end of 2007”. Managers involved aimed to “minimise information leaks by creating isolated project teams”.

The occupation has faced a series of legal threats but has remained solid.

But we want to keep up the momentum and win. A victory could spark resistance much more widely against the jobs massacre. On the other hand, if Visteon bosses get away with their attacks then other Ford workers’ contracts could also be ripped up.

All Visteon products should be blacked now. And the unions must give such action their full support. Some plants have already begun to discuss this. Please join them. And the unions should be discussing how to organise other action, such as solidarity meetings in work time, to help Visteon win. Please come to the factory in Morson Road, Enfield, at any time to show us your support.

Together we can win!

Show your support - action needed now

* Black all Visteon products. No worker should be using any Visteon produce at a time when its bosses are denying workers basic rights.* The unions should be discussing now how to raise the level of support for Visteon. Can there be solidarity meetings during work time, walkouts etc?* Email messages of support to visteonoccupation AT gmail DOT com