THE Visteon car parts plant, in Enfield, once owned by Ford, is still occupied by over 100 workers who are defending their jobs and demanding that their terms and conditions of service agreed by the Ford motor company be adhered to.
They were sacked by four liqidators from KMPG ten minutes before the end of the 6am-2pm shift last Tuesday afternoon.
They were told that they would have to apply to the government for their last seven days pay and that none of the benefits due to them would be made available.
Two other plants, in Basildon and Belfast also remain occupied by workers.
The Unite convenor of the Enfield plant, Kevin Nolan, told News Line: ‘The bailiffs came in about 12.30am Thursday morning.’
He said they presented him with a court order which was addressed to him saying he had to leave the premises.
He added that the writ was not legal. It had a wrong address on it. The workers remained in the plant.
On a number of occasions during the night, management and bailiffs tried to convince them to leave.
Over 50 workers slept in the plant overnight Wednesday.
The occupation now continues with 50 workers occupying yesterday afternoon.
Outside in the road, there were many more workers, at least 50 more, indicating that they were continuing the struggle.
There was a call to go down to Basildon to show support for the workers occupying there.
Local people have shown their support for the Enfield occupation.
The local NUT came down on Wednesday with food.
Also, the local college have put up posters supporting the workers.
Meanwhile, the bailiffs have posted up a notice on one of the entrances to the plant, telling the workers to leave.
The workers are calling for Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, their Unite trade union leaders, to come down to the plant and show their support for the occupation.
They are also calling on all sections of workers and the community to come down and support them and their defence of their jobs.
Bill Rogers, secretary of the North-East London Council of Action, said: ‘Every worker must support this occupation as the defence of jobs is vital for the living standards of every family in this area and other areas.
‘Next Tuesday the North-East London Council of Action will be holding a meeting at which we will discuss the occupation of the Visteon car parts plant and the disgraceful way that these workers have been treated.
‘We will campaign for every trade union branch in this area and in the London area and beyond it to support this occupation and that a demonstration should be called by the trade unions through Enfield to give it the maximum support possible.
‘It’s scandalous that bailiffs and liquidators’ men can come down and try and intimidate workers to give up the defence of their jobs.
‘We support the occupation of all factories that are threatened with closure.
‘We support a struggle for their nationalisation, since the only way to defend jobs is to bring in nationalisation under workers control to put an end to capitalism.
‘We are not alone in our opposition to the Brown government, to the way it’s handled the bankers’ billions and is handling the workers’ mass unemployment.
‘What this country needs is a general strike to defend the rights of the workers, specifically the right to work.’
‘The Brown government should be brought down and be replaced by a workers government that will nationalise to defend jobs, build millions of council homes and bring in socialism.’