Press release from Visteon Pensions Action Group
Last Saturday October 12th Ford/Visteon pensioners protested at their loss of pension which had been guaranteed and promised by Ford Motor Company when 3300 of its employees were transferred from Ford to Visteon, a new company described as an ‘Enterprise of Ford’. Due to mismanagement and covert dealings between the two companies this new enterprise went into receivership in March 2009 which resulted in no loss of production and vehicles to Ford Motor Company but loss of jobs and pension to their former employees with Ford reneging on their promise of lifetime protection. The protests took place simultaneously in the four UK areas that were affected with hundreds of ex employees demonstrating in Basildon, Belfast, Enfield and Swansea to remind people that 4 and 1/2 years on, Ford Motor Company have still not paid the pensions they owe to their former employees.
Hundreds of leaflets were given out to members of the public who continue to show tremendous support in the campaign, comments like ‘Ford is a multinational company making billions – they should live up to the promises’ and ‘I will not be buying another Ford car until you win this fight’ are a few comments that were made on the day.
This campaign will continue, through the law courts with Unite the Union backing legal action to be heard in November 2014 or until Ford accept their moral responsibility and reinstate the pension promised to its former employees – this action is fully supported by an All Party Parliamentary Group led by Stephen Metcalfe MP, with more than 50 MP’s with ex pensioners in their constituencies backing our campaign for pension justice!
See http://youtu.be/1P5OQBa5hwQ showing UK demonstrations taking place.
Further details may be found at our website: www.visteonpensionactiongroup.co.uk