Unite demands pensions justice for Visteon workers.

Unite demands pensions justice for Visteon's former workers

Unite vowed to use all legal means to get pensions justice for the former Visteon workers who lost their jobs when the company went into administration earlier this year.

Speaking following a mass rally of Visteon workers held in London today Unite's joint general secretary, Tony Woodley, said:

"Unite stood by Visteon workers in the fight for fair redundancy payments when the company went into administration and the union will not abandon Visteon workers fighting for pensions justice.

"Ford made copper-bottomed promises to the workers before they were transferred to Visteon and we intend to hold them to those promises.

"Unite is calling for an urgent meeting with the Chairman of Ford and has already asked the governments’ pensions regulator to investigate whether there was inappropriate behaviour that sees thousands of workers having to go into the Pensions Protection Fund."

Earlier this year, Visteon UK went into administration with nearly 1000 workers at Basildon, Enfield and Belfast losing their jobs. Following a sustained campaign and sit-ins held by workers a fair redundancy settlement was reached.

Now Unite is fighting for pensions justice for 3000 former workers affected. The governments’ Pension Protection Fund will only cover a proportion of these workers' pensions and Unite believes the taxpayer should not have to pick up the bill when Ford made firm commitments to protect the workers' terms and conditions on transfer to Visteon.