A Post-Fordist struggle: Report & reflections on the UK Ford-Visteon dispute 2009

from interactivist, 8 July 2009:

NEW PAMPHLET FROM PAST TENSE

past tense has a new FREE pamphlet available for your delectations

In June 2000 Ford Motor Company outsourced the production of certain component parts to a new company called Visteon - in reality a spin off company of Ford in which Ford retained a 60% holding.

In England a deal between the Ford company and the union promised all former Ford workers – now employees of Visteon –the same wage and pension conditions they'd had with Ford. But all newly hired Visteon workers were employed under inferior contracts.

On 31st of March 2009 Ford/Visteon announced the closure of three factories in the UK and the sacking of 610 workers. The company was declared insolvent and put into receivership: workers were sacked with only a few minutes notice. No guarantees were given concerning redundancy or pensions payments.

The management had made the workers work up to the last minute, knowing that they would not even receive any wages for their final shifts. On the 31st workers in Belfast responded to the closure announcement by occupying their factory spontaneously… the Basildon (Essex), and Enfield (north London) Visteon plants also occupied the next day…

While the Basildon workers’ occupation ended quickly, the Enfield and Belfast plants remained in the workers’ for several weeks.

Written by a member of the Visteon Support group who was active in the struggle at Enfield, this pamphlet briefly details the occupation there, relates the occupiers dealings with Visteon, with the Unite union, the support they received, and the outcome of the dispute…

‘A Post-Fordist Struggle’ is FREE, available from Past Tense for just 2 stamps (first or second class); write to us c/o 56a info Shop, 56 Crampton Street, London SE17 3AE.

If you want a few copies to distribute, drop us a line: (a small donation would be appreciated though not compulsory).

[original article]

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