Unite: Visteon workers win justice

Visteon workers win justice - and show fighting back works

A statement from Unite.

The dramatic fight for justice for 610 Visteon workers is on the brink of settlement with the tabling of a new and vastly improved offer by the company to the workers. The workers, members of Unite the union, were sacked last month with only minute's notice, in the process denied their rightful redundancy pay and their pensions hit.

Since then the workers, supported fully by Unite, have led a high profile fight-back for just compensation, including the right to be considered for jobs at Ford, the former employer of the vast majority of the workforce.

Unite has been campaigning to ensure that neither Visteon nor Ford, given its historic, continuous association with the workforce, could walk away from the workers without paying them what is rightfully and morally theirs.

Now a renewed deal, which goes beyond even the Ford redundancy terms, has been accepted unanimously by the union's convenors and shop stewards.

Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite said: "This is a tremendous victory for these workers, and a demonstration to workers everywhere that when you fight for justice you can win. The deal now on the table is a massive improvement from where we started, which was 610 men and women thrown on the dole with only the expectation of basic state redundancy pay. By going beyond even what Ford workers themselves can expect in redundancy pay, Visteon has acknowledged the loyalty and commitment this workforce has shown to both them and to Ford before them.

"It can never replace their jobs, or alter the fact that 610 people have lost their jobs and their pensions have been hit, but it will provide these workers with compensation for the abysmal treatment they suffered and some security as they rebuild their working lives. This should send a message to employers everywhere - you will not get away with treating our members like cannon fodder."

Derek Simpson, joint general secretary of Unite said: “This is a proud moment for these workers and their union. It shows that even in the bleakest of circumstances, if you stand up to defend what is right you will very often win.

"The support for these workers and their cause has been astonishing - the British people recognise when a wrong has been committed and they wanted it put right.

"Ultimately, Visteon and Ford accepted that they could not wash their hands of these workers and have gone a long way towards doing the decent thing by the workers and their families.

"We are confident that this dispute will now be settled in an orderly fashion and the workers will receive their compensation as quickly as possible."

The proposed settlement deal will see a considerable lift in the redundancy package offered to workers with long service and who previously worked for Ford. Some 510 out of the 610-strong workforce are former Ford employees. For those workers with shorter service, they can expect to receive ten times what they would have received in statutory redundancy pay. Ford has also agreed to give preferential treatment to former Visteon workers who may apply for work at Ford's UK plants in the future.

The new offer will be put to the workers in the coming days with Unite's joint negotiating committee recommending to members that they accept the deal. Following any agreement of the deal by the workforce, the pickets will withdraw from the plants.

Unite National Officer Roger Madison said the deal was "ten times what people were being offered originally".
"It's really great news and we're hoping that the guys will accept this," he said.

"They've only been offered this because of the actions taken, especially by the people in west Belfast - to lock themselves in a plant for nearly a month is refreshing - it's old-fashioned trade unionism."