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
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