Car factory occupations spread across the UK
Ed | 01.04.2009 19:06 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements
Sacked workers from the car parts firm Visteon have been occupying three factories across the UK since Wednesday.
The action began with an overnight sit-in at the Visteon plant in Belfast and employees are continuing their protest at the factory. More than 100 workers have staged a sit-in, the Unite trade union has said. Earlier, it was announced that 565 staff would go at Visteon car components plants across the UK. Most of the jobs have been lost with immediate effect and two hundred jobs will go at the Belfast factory.
KPMG said it had no alternative but to close the factory and the two others in Basildon and Enfield in England. Administrators have been called in to the factory which is the former Ford plant. Visteon has a total workforce of 600 in the United Kingdom.
Unite convenor John Maguire said the workers at the plant had "been treated disgracefully".
"We have been left with no choice but to occupy the factory to save our jobs and to defend jobs for the people of Belfast," he said.
Fifty people who were sacked on Tuesday are now on the roof of the Enfield plant. Others are holding a sit-in at the plant in Basildon in Essex.
The protesters claimed the company's former owner and main customer, Ford, had promised redundancy contracts which they now want to see honoured.
KPMG said it had no alternative but to close the factory and the two others in Basildon and Enfield in England. Administrators have been called in to the factory which is the former Ford plant. Visteon has a total workforce of 600 in the United Kingdom.
Unite convenor John Maguire said the workers at the plant had "been treated disgracefully".
"We have been left with no choice but to occupy the factory to save our jobs and to defend jobs for the people of Belfast," he said.
Fifty people who were sacked on Tuesday are now on the roof of the Enfield plant. Others are holding a sit-in at the plant in Basildon in Essex.
The protesters claimed the company's former owner and main customer, Ford, had promised redundancy contracts which they now want to see honoured.
Ed
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Comments
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amazing indymedia has not highlighted this story!!!!!
01.04.2009 21:37
Workers take direct action against capitalism! Factory occupations in the UK!!!! Workers on rooftops chanting slogans and waving red flags! In north London and Essex! Cum on indymedia - anti-capitalism is more than action on the streets - its in the workplaces too!
Whose Streets? Our Streets!
Whose Factories? Our Factories!
Whose Campuses? Our Campuses!
Reclaim the World!
The corporate media scum at the BBC - actually has a good lil film here!
Film covers occupations in Belfast, Enfield and Basildon.
sumgeeza
this is the real struggle
01.04.2009 22:26
smoon
stop moaning & helping IMC, are demanding they be sacked or what??ffs
02.04.2009 09:18
I love libcom, its great too & hate IMCers who slag Libcom off .
I hope this does become top story & info on Trilateral commission AGM in japan at end of april needs to be a top story too, these are where real corporate decisioins are made,2010 its in Dublin,Bilderberg is its co group& maybe meeting in Athens mid may.
But we have to remember some of them are itching for a chance to try & impose nazism&worldwar3 would end almost everything on this planet, so we must be vvvvvv well organised & disciplined.
Inspiring to see this occupation, please keep IMC updated. Climate camp,global warming info, should dominate headlines though. This is a struggle for democracy against many serious imminent threats by peer reviewed scientists, nano, nuclear, Co2 take your pick we need a revolution or transition. Our key workers need to be allowed to maintain life support sysytems, so lets keep it fluffy, if police etc get too rough, these workers who are the best & millions of us backing them up can make life v difficult for the CEOs.
Green Syndicalist& Universal Democrat