...lets hope its dominoes....

"The Bloomsbury Living Wage Campaign is calling on students, lecturers, cleaners, catering staff and other university workers to demonstrate on 1st May- international workers day- and demand the London living wage for all staff at Bloomsbury colleges.

Assemble: Midday
Location: main steps, SOAS, 10 Thornhaugh St. Central London."

This is on for Friday, see my previous blog for details...

Heard today, that the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine gave in and have agreed that the contract cleaners and domestics will get the minimum london wage :=]

"Dear Friends
We handed in our petition on the London Living Wage to the Senior Management Team meeting on Monday. We have just received a response stating that:

* Management supported the School moving to the LondonLiving Wage for contract cleaning and domestic staff - subject to approval by the Planning and Finance Committee.
* Senior management will be recommending approval to the Planning and Finance Committee.
* The Director supports the increase.
* The School will be looking for a written commitment from Ocean that the increase is passed on to staff in full.

It's welcome news.

Best
Ady Cousins
(London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine UNITE rep) "

....mind you, it is going to apparently cost them all of 90,000 quid to implement, a drop in the ocean for an organisation that turns over something like 75 million, I heard today!

I joined this particular fight very recently, and had helped just a wee bit with leafletting Senate House yesterday lunchtime, and spreading the word as much as I could. There has been a lot of hard work by a good bunch of people to get this far, and its good to see a win for once :=] Lets hope that it is fully ratified by LSHTM and that we see the other Bloomsbury area colleges fall in line also!

I'm on Denise's machine right now, as my own decided to die a sudden death. I'm recovering data on it to a replacement box while I type this...so much for back ups..*cough*

Looking forward to this bank holiday weekend, though I do have a pile of study stacking up. I'm less stressed about it though, as I checked today that I don't have to do the exams quite so soon if I want to take more time to study, which is welcome news :D

I'm doing a major spring clean of my stuff too. Previously, I had used Freecycle to get rid of a lot of my clutter, but now its down to paperwork....shredding 20 years of bank statements take a heck of lot of time to do, and I do wonder why on earth I've kept them. Still, whilst going through them I've been able to get a list of the tons of places I've lived over these years, maybe I'll get it together to put it all in a timeline just for posterity...I used to keep keys from all the places I've lived too, but most of those have gone now.

Why keep all this stuff in the first place, I hear you ask....(hearing voices in my head, ooh, spooky). Well, I've always had a terrible memory, so I've hung onto stuff to remind me of alsorts. When I did my mature student bit way back when, I had to fill in forms for grants etc and they wanted to know past addresses to prove I'd lived in the grand old london borough of Hackney for the requisite amount of time. Because Id kept all these forms, letters, dole cards etc, I was able to put it all down reasonably accurately (though whether they even checked I've no idea). I'm glad I did keep some of this tat though, as I was able to upload a bunch of old gig flyers from the 80's in a facebook group which jogged a few memories from folks.

ah well...I'm babbling again, detailing the minuteria of my days, past and present. Well, ignore this waffle if you like, no worries, but if you should feel like it, do join me on Friday for what hopefully will be a decent show of strength and commitment to improve things for a bunch of folks who often get no consideration at all.

ta ra for now :D

Rob Williams shop steward at Ford Swansea sacked .. factory occupied

Rob Williams, the Unite convenor of the Linamar car parts factory in Swansea and vice chair of the NSSN, was called into the directors' office of the plant on Tuesday 28 April and told that he was being sacked for "irretrievable breakdown of trust". This blatant victimisation of one of the leading left-wing shop steward activists in the car industry was met by an immediate production line walk-off by the day shift. They surrounded Rob's union office after management called in police to forcibly remove Rob from the building.

Rob has been very active in the campaign of the sacked Visteon car parts workers and has recently visited all three of their plants. His sacking is likely to be linked to his role in this struggle. The Visteon Unite convenors are demanding that Rob be reinstated and they, alongside many others, are calling on Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley to also back the immediate reinstatement of Rob.

Phone protests to:
* Head of Swansea Linamar Brian Wade 01792 656339
* Personnel Manager 01792 656 238

Messages of protest to linda.hasenfratz@linamar.com

Messages of support to Rob Williams:
robbo@redwills.freeserve.co.uk
rwilliams@linamar.com

Send messages urging Unite to defend Rob and other lay officials to the Wales secretary of Unite: Andy.Richards@unitetheunion.com

27 o'clock and its only midday....

...strewth...is that the time?

I should have that tattooed on my forehead these days....sit comfortably next the the "667" (yeah, never any good at maths..forgot to carry the 2)

currently studying for lemme see...1,2....7 exams I think, and it's going realy good....all I need to do now is squeeze 27 hours out of a 12 hour day.


and theres heaps of things I'd rather do right now, seriously....well, even if I didn't have the study thing...finally got round to hooking up my Xbox with DSL linux on it...*nix on the telly is odd to see, and then theres the collection of CSI episodes slowly piling up, and the Visteon is still there, but needing people on the weekends, which is when I can't go so I'll have to get some leafletting in and other peripheral stuff. Talking of which, hope to be distributing leaflets tomorrow for theBloomsbury Living Wages Coalition May Day (1st of May) demonstration. ...cue explanatory text bit.....

"May 1st -demonstrate for the living wage in all Bloomsbury Colleges

The Bloomsbury Living Wage Campaign is calling on students, lecturers, cleaners, catering staff and other university workers to demonstrate on 1st May- international workers day- and demand the London living wage for all staff at Bloomsbury colleges.

Assemble: Midday
Location: main steps, SOAS, 10 Thornhaugh St. Central London.

The London Living Wage (LLW) is a minimum wage and conditions package established by the GLA, which takes into account the area-specific costs of living in London. It has been calculated carefully to ensure the minimum conditions that allow a worker in the city to provide a decent standard of living for themselves and their family.

After much campaigning by staff and students, Birkbeck management recently agreed to pay its cleaning and catering staff the living wage rate of £7.45 an hour, following the example of SOAS. The LSE and Queen Mary have also introduced this minimum pay. But many of our universities continue to pay highly exploitative wages often as low as the minimum wage of £5.73. Many university workers are forced to work unsociable hours, beginning their shifts early in the mornings and working at weekends just to make ends meet. And even in those universities that have adopted the £7.45 an hour wage, other important aspects of the LLW package still have not been introduced (including union rights and decent sick and holiday pay.)

Those mainly-migrant workers who prepare our food and make our buildings fit for purpose are as essential in providing a high class education to students as all other staff and deserve the same rights to basic human dignity. If cleaners and caterers were employed directly, as opposed to outsourced to subcontracters, and paid even the lowest grade pay, they would be earning significantly more than the LLW minimum.

We are calling on Bloomsbury campus universities to change their employment policies immediately and treat the cleaners, caterers and security staff with the respect they deserve!

We also believe international workers day is an appropriate day to demand this, as it helps recognise the increasing contribution that migrant workers are making to the city’s economy and society.

The Bloomsbury living wage campaign is supported by activists from UCL, SOAS, Birkbeck, LSHTM, Senate House, and Institute of Education
Join us!"

...where was I? Oh yes, time.....had one of those weekends where I could have used 128 hours easily.....spent Saturday over in Docklands Light Railway territory sorting out a friends laptop, which was ok, good to spend sometime with him as he's an old friend off the Lane...only, it meant I missed the Visteon demo the same day. Then Sunday was buggered up, as I was sposed to go and help celebrate a friends 40th, and someone I've not seen in a long time, and other folks also seldom seen these past few years too, only had family stuff to handle (well, Denise's family which makes em mine, though I do pick and choose which ones I like...). So, I had to send my apologies at the last minute, hopefully be able to hook up sometime if only to give her the pressie I got.

Sunday night was stop! sit down! lets get a plan together! thing....

With some very fine tuning, and almost but not quite major habit changes here's hoping the pieces fall into place and I have a simple honest to goodness no fuss holiday....somewhere green with no mobile coverage and not toooooo much rain. It would be heaven to spend a week or two away from all this that and the other with Denise, maybe get some proper writing done the old fashioned way....pencil and paper style ....I feel some inspirationing will arrive and quietly prod my cerebelum into gear......yes, that would be nice.....

"warning! slightly introspective bit coming up..."

We are now in a period of sunny weather which is lovely. I have been noticing the green shoots appearing in the trees, particularly one I see when I get my bus in the morning. It was just a month ago, when it was all 'twiggy' and bare, and now its blooming with a fantastic green haze of leaves. There seems to be this outbreak of gorgeous tiny blue flowers everywhere I look. In the front of our flat, on the walk down the hill to highgate station, the roadside grass verges on Colney Hatch Lane, just everywhere :=]

I've been feeling really upbeat these last few weeks, with the sunshine, the flowers and getting to a real quiet place inside myself. So hectic at times too, what with getting involved in stuff a bit more, like Visteon and other things going on. I'm going to have to put some serious time aside soonish, to work on the proper launch of Spectrum London's 'Something Special' project. It's a simple idea, which could grow. We are talking of trans history directly from the people themselves, in their words and pictures with no 'editing' or other such interference. I'll go into it in more detail at a later date, when I've figured out the details :D

I may start being a social animal again, soon. The other weekend, Denise and I popped into Hackney to collect a duvet which were going to take up to the Visteon occupation and we stopped off at the Rochester Castle. An old favourite watering hole of days gone by, when it was known as the Tanners Hall. Lots of lovely ales, and plenty of space to relax and have a sup. We liked it so much, that I've been thinking of going down there again, perhaps meeting a few folks and making a real Sunday day out :)

Also, been asked to a pub for drinks on this weekend from some people I've not seen in years now. I may go if I can, though what they will think of the new enlarged version of me (yes, in my later days I've become a bit of a lardy bum :P.....way too much cake!) We shall see, as I'll be stepping from my 20's to my 40's with some of the folk...time tunnel anyone? :=]

well....a meander and a lazy blog thing today, just trying to keep in the habit. Still, next one may be altogether different.....if I choose to follow the white rabbit down that hole again, who knows? :=]

London Metropolitan University - petition

Please sign the petition (link to petition is below)

Petition text:

'We the undersigned, note that the future of London Metropolitan University is now under threat arising from the reduction in their teaching grant by £18m / year and claw back £38m in over-payments as a result of inaccurate returns on student completion rates. We reject the management's response to this crisis of insisting on a minimum of 330 redundancies across the university within months. Reductions in staffing will erode the institution's ability to offer high quality education to Londoners and will inflict damage on the prospects of the students who pursue their studies, often at great cost. In a recession, we should be investing more, not less, in education.

'We call upon the management to reverse its current cuts policy and commit themselves to:

• no redundancies
• no deterioration of terms and conditions or workloads
• no victimisation of union members
• meaningful consultation with staff unions over alternative cost savings as a matter of urgency
• setting up with immediate effect departmental working groups with full staff and union involvement to conduct thorough analysis of potential non-staff related cost savings
• if management wish to run a voluntary severance scheme, it should only go ahead after thorough and meaningful consultation and be fully funded and run in a transparent and equitable fashion.

'We call upon the government to:

• intervene with HEFCE to secure London Metropolitan's funding, governance and future.

'Finally, we believe that the crisis within this university can only be solved through serious engagement with the staff unions by the management rather than seeking to bypass or even penalise UCU and Unison representatives. We therefore call upon the vice-chancellor, management and governors of the university to:

• abandon the contemplated large-scale redundancies that, if implemented, will place in serious jeopardy both the education of current students and the existence of the institution
• work with the recognised trade unions in facing the current crisis
• withdraw threatened proceedings against trade union reps.'

Link to petition here :- https://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3678

Support Ford Visteon workers – visit Visteon Enfield

Visteon workers in Enfield are picketing their factory around the clock to prevent the removal of machinery from the plant. They need support – donations, messages, solidarity actions, and your physical presence on occasions!

This leaflet by the Ford Visteon Workers Support Group gives advice on visiting the factory: getting there, what to take, and what to do when you’re there. Website at : http://www.visteonoccupation.org

Getting there

Address: Morson Road, off Meridian Way (A1055), near Ponders End, London EN3 4NQ.
Map:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=536327&y=195126&z=0&sv=EN3+4NQ&st=2&pc=EN3+4NQ&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf

or http://tinyurl.com/visteonenfield for short



Parking: the plant is on an industrial estate; you can park close to the plant on Morson Road.

Warning: there is a small chance that you might get a parking ticket! If worried, ask the workers the best place to park.

By train: National Express East Anglia trains from Liverpool Street call at Hackney Downs, Tottenham Hale (which is also on London Underground Victoria Line) and Ponders End. The journey takes about 17 minutes. The plant is 5 minutes walk from the train station, eastwards across the footbridge, southwards down Meridian Way and turn left into Morson Road.

Timetables here:

http://www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com/train_times/current_timetables/(station)/PON

If that link doesn't work use http://tinyurl.com/pondersendtimetable


Buses:

Buses from Ponders End station

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/pondersendstation-12126.pdf

Buses from Ponders End

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/pondersendandsouthburystation-2232.pdf

Night bus: Night bus N279 runs from Trafalgar Square to Waltham Cross and back 3 times an hour on Sunday–Thursday nights inclusive, and 5 times an hour on Friday and Saturday nights. It runs up and down Hertford Road at the bottom end of South Street (the road from the station on the opposite side of the railway line from Visteon). Allow 15–20 minutes to walk from the factory. Buses towards Trafalgar Square, via Tottenham, Finsbury Park, Holloway and Camden Town stop at approximately 01.40, 02.00, 02.20, 02.40, etc. Links with N41 at Tottenham, and N91 at Holloway Road.

Buses to Waltham Cross arrive at Hertford Road/South Street approximately 01.29, 01.49, 02.09, etc.

What to take

Anything you think you might need for yourself and anything you think you can donate to the pickets. If you are staying for any length of time, a tent, sleeping bag (there is room nearby to camp); warm clothes, especially if visiting at night; washing materials – there is no running water on site; food, drink (not too much alcohol – arguably none); radios, musical instruments, etc. You can probably get a hot drink onsite but shouldn’t count on it.
There is no internet access onsite; the workers have a laptop with some access but that is for their own use. If you are driving and can take some wood for the fire that is always welcome.

What to do when you’re there

Introduce yourself at the first picketed gate you come to (there are 3/4), and ask them to direct you to whoever is in charge of organising pickets. They will tell you if they want you to go to any specific gate. The workers do four-hour picketing shifts. For obvious reasons, it is generally harder to maintain the pickets at night. If you can commit to a four-hour shift one night, you can sign up here: http://doodle.com/7tgwd2akiyeas8id

Most of the time there will be a worker on each gate: they have walkie talkies to communicate with each other. If there are any particular security concerns, you will probably be told when you arrive, but if you are unsure about anything ask as many questions as you need to.
Obviously, you are there to support the workers, so respect their wishes. If they want you to do something, or stop doing anything, please respect that.

Think about health and safety: you are visiting a factory on an industrial estate. While it is generally quiet, large lorries and fast-moving cars can use the roads at any time. The pickets use open fires to keep warm. There are portaloos on site but they are not always nice to use: visit the toilet before you get there – there is no loo at Ponders End but there is one at Tottenham Hale. Apart from those cautions, enjoy your visit, be as useful as you can, get to know the workers, and tell other people about your experience so that they will want to go as well.

Donations

To donate direct to the workers you can send cheques payable to ‘Haringey Solidarity Group’ to PO Box 2474, London, N8. Write ‘Visteon’ on the back of the cheque. Or you can take donations direct to the factory and give them to the person in charge of organising the pickets

...and what do you have to say for yourself?

As well as the Visteon fight, of which I have been out of this last week or so, I do have a few other matters on my mind......

Studying/revising for a bunch of exams....ICDL no less (thats International Computer Driving Licence...yeah, I know...don't tell me) only because of a dismal failure in organising my time, I found myself facing the prospect of doing the tests all in one week..or so I thought anyway. So, my reading on the bus changed to the study notes of Excel, Access, Powerpoint and other lovely fantastic ...erm, sarcasm is a dying art...I'll stop there..you get the picture.

I hate to say it but.....having gone into these subjects (mostly MS Office, and bit of general IT), I have learnt that there are a few neat tricks you can do with them. Of course, my own documents rarely stretch much from a basic text thing thrown together with notepad or the occasional bit of html ishness when putting an email together for our School noticeboard or for a guide thing for one of our overseas folks.

I took and passed the Excel test with a staggering 91 % mark.....and I can't say my maths knowledge is that good...formula's....eek...still, not bad.

I have just a couple more tests to do.....Access and Powerpoint...and its on to the advanced modules. Watch this space :=]



As well as the study bits and bobs, I also decided to take a break from Freecycle. If you don't know what FC is....take a look at http://www.uk.freecycle.org/

Up to now, I 've been a keen poster in the groups, often rescuing items that are still usable and offering them to the groups I am in. Once I decided enough was enough, I sent a post in explaining why.....

"TAKEN: All offers withdrawn (Muswell Hill)

I am now withdrawing all offers currently listed. I am taking a hiatus from freecycle.

I have had enough of the abuse, the inconsiderate nature of most of those I have encountered. I have even had threats of violence.

Sadly, though freecycle is a good idea, the practice is flawed for now. I remember a set of rules when I joined. No asking for items that were obviously expensive, no asking for items if you haven't at least made one offer. No posting more than one Wanted request a month. Being polite, at the very least letting folks know if an arranged collection won't go ahead, and that goes for both givers and receivers. Even allowing for some flexibility, some people simply don't do anything else but look at freecycle as some 'free shop' where they can get what they like, without consideration, without contributing in any way, whilst others see it as a way of offloading redundant broken items they can't be bothered to put in the bin or take to the recycle centre.

Those that do contribute, that are considerate do exist, I know, because I have met a fair few. Check the cafe groups that exist, people do have a passion for FC. However, lately they seem to be outnumbered if my inbox is anything to go by.

So, I am taking a break and thinking about what FC is about. Those of you who probably won't care anyway have one less person to leech off and give abuse to. The rest, may your days be happy and full of joy.

many thanks...

Michael"

Yes, not a happy bunny! Prompted a bit of discussion and a bunch of messages from other FC people pretty much cosmiserating agreeing with me, I am not alone!

Though I have not left the groups, in fact I have since posted in a couple of the cafe discussion groups since, but for now our local charity shops will reap the benefit of my unwanted worldy goods....I may return to being an active offerer as I have met some great people in my time so far...

Check out freecycle for yourselves, though....there's good and bad in there ....

Info at http://www.uk.freecycle.org/

and a list of local groups at http://www.freecycle.org/group/UK/

If you don't see one for your area...start your own :=]

...well anyway, this being the 3rd blog thing uploaded to day, I'll give someone else room to speak as it were...as I have started re reading my Kim Newman books, which will probably result in an online hunt for those I've not read yet :=]

"She had failed to persuade him to accept the
Dark Kiss. But he let her know that she had not failed with him."

His blood sang inside her.

"I love you forever," he whispered, too soft
for the others to hear.

from
Dracula Cha Cha Cha

...and in music.....

Dracula cha-cha
Dracula, Dracula, Dra
Sortant doucement de sa tombe
Il va par les nuits les plus sombres
Drap? dans son manteau noir

Dracula, Dracula, Dra
Ses yeux lancent d'?tranges flammes
Ses dents sont pareilles ? des lames
Il faut l'avoir vu pour le croire
Plus agile qu'un serpent, il s'introduit prestement
Dans la maison d'une jolie femme
Pour la vider de son sang
Dans le cou il la mord de toute son ?me
Dracula, Dracula, Dra
Et lorsqu'il voit le jour qui se pointe
Desserrant soudain son ?treinte
Il part retrouver le n?ant
Dracula, Dracula, Dra
Le soir les maisons se verrouillent
Les gens pour prier s'agenouillent
Guettant tous les bruits du dehors
Dracula, Dracula, Dra
Au moindre coup dans une armoire
On entend claquer les m?choires
Et les chiens hurlent ? la mort
On s'aper?oit tout ? coup
Que les durs ont les genoux
Qui jouent soudain des castagnettes
Quant aux gendarmes
Ils sont pr?ts ? ne prendre que la poudre d'escampette
Dracula, Dracula, Dra
Ma belle-m?re, ?a me d?concerte
Laisse toujours sa porte entr'ouverte
Et tu ne viens jamais chez moi

Ford Visteon Workers Support Group

Ford Visteon Workers Support Group
Info: www.visteonoccupation.org
To get actively involved: visteon_support@haringey.org.uk
Contact: email address being set up
Updates: announcements e-list being set up


Next Support Group meeting
Wednesday 22nd April, 7.30pm
At the Visteon Factory, Enfield (Gate 5), Morson Rd (Gate 5), EN3 4NQ
The plant is 5mins walk from Ponders End train station, eastwards across the footbridge, southwards down the main road and turn left into Morson Rd
Note: If weather is very bad those present will transfer to nearby indoor venue

Coming Events

24/7: Picketing of all 4 entrances to the Visteon factory. Supporters welcome.
Sat 18 April, 11am: Supporters Gathering/Rally @ Visteon (Gate 5), Enfield
Wed 22 April, 7.30pm: Weekly Support Group meeting @ Visteon (Gate 5). All welcome.
Sat 25 April all day: National Day of Action and leafletting at Ford dealerships/showrooms
Sat 25 April, 11am: Supporters Gathering/Rally @ Visteon (Gate 5), Enfield + leafleting at showrooms afterwards
Sat 25 April, 5pm: Premiere of Visteon documentary @ Housmans, 5 Caledonian Rd, N1
Sun 26 April, 6:30pm: Visteon documentary @ The Foundry, Old St

Visteon workers leave factory but continue the fight

Having posted a bit on the Visteon factory workers situation, I can update folks a little....though I have not been involved since they left the factory. This is a statement from the Visteon folks themselves, along with a video posted on Youtube of the day.

Ford Visteon Occupation Enfield ends - 24 Hour Picket begins April 9 2009‏.

Statement from Enfield Ford Visteon workers

At a hearing at the High Court on Monday 6th April, the union Unite won the right for the Enfield occupation to continue without further legal duress until noon on Thursday 9th April so that negations with Visteon US could take place. (Two local trade union representatives had by then already been served with restraining orders threatening them with prison sentences.)

Kevin Nolan, the Enfield Unite convener, flew with Derek Simpson and Roger Maddison, to New York on Tuesday and held promising talks with the senior management, which will be resumed on Tuesday 13th somewhere in the UK.

After Kevin Nolan reported back, the workforce accepted Unites advice to cease the occupation by the legal deadline. The enthusiastic demonstration of several hundred people who had gathered to express support for their cause clapped, chanted and cheered the occupiers for the stand they had taken.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAhJICyrl-k


They are now picketing the factory to keep the pressure on Ford Visteon, and prevent them from removing equipment or products, and if necessary prevent Ford Visteon from re-opening the factory with a scab labour work force.


Messages of support can be sent to visteonoccupation@gmail.com

A Ford Visteon workers’ support group is helping to coordinate support by sustaining the pickets and publicising the Ford Visteon workers’ struggle for justice. By agreement with the pickets, Haringey Solidarity Group will channel financial support to the pickets through their bank account. Cheques made out to ‘Haringey Solidarity Group’ or ‘HSG’ may be sent to HSG, PO Box 2474, London N8 0HW (write Ford Visteon on the back).

Haringey Solidarity Group website : http://www.haringey.org.uk

Visteon Occupation - A fight for justice - Interviews with Enfield workers April 4 2009

Click the link to see a Youtube video of interviews with workers in the occupied Visteon factory in Enfield



Join the Visteon Occupation Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid...


Workers at Visteon car component plants in Enfield (North London) and Belfast are occupying their factories. The workers, some of whom have worked at the plants for 40 years, were told their jobs were finished and given 20 minutes to clear their lockers. But they are refusing to be bullied, and are standing up for their rights.
The majority of the workforce are ex-Ford workers, producing products for Ford, and on contracts that were supposed to mirror Ford contracts. That means Ford should step in to offer decent redundancy, workers say.
Every worker should get behind the Visteon workers fight for justice.

Send a message of support now from yourself and any official union body to visteonoccupation@googlemail.com

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

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.

Support the Ford Visteon Workers Occupation

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@googlemail.com

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