Former Visteon plant staff vow to fight for pensions
FORMER Visteon workers fighting to protect their pensions will consider legal action against Ford if crunch talks in America fail to resolve the situation.
Workers feel Ford's business dealings have put the value of their pensions in jeopardy and have staged a number of public meetings and protests to highlight their concerns.
Around 120 workers met in Swansea on Tuesday to discuss talks scheduled to take place between members of the Visteon Pension Action Group from Basildon, Enfield and Belfast and senior Ford executives in New York on Friday, January 22.
Rob Williams, union convenor for the Linamar plant said 750 city workers faced losing out on around 10 per cent of their pensions. However, it is believed some workers could lose as much as a quarter of their pension entitlement.
Mr Williams said staff had been told by Ford bosses that their pension terms would be protected when the company turned the Fabian Way plant into Visteon — but he says that has not been the case.
"The meeting in January is crunch time and we are urging Ford to accept responsibility and give our pensioners the justice they deserve," he said.
"If they don't, we will think about taking legal action against them.
"The issue has really been brought home for a lot of workers who have just had the figures for the reduction in their pensions."
Workers will stage a protest outside the Assembly in Cardiff the day before the talks.
The group has also upped the political pressure with an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons and a Statement of Opinion at the Assembly.
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A Ford spokesman said the company "met or exceeded its obligations under the 2000 agreement when Visteon became fully independent".
He said despite Ford's assistance, sustained losses meant the Visteon Corporation took the decision to put Visteon UK into administration earlier this year.
"The impact of this for former employees and retirees is very regrettable, however, the contractual responsibility is with the trustees of Visteon UK's pension fund and the administrator," he added.
emma.j.jones@swwmedia.co.uk
4 Comments
by Terry Davies, Ammanford
Saturday, December 19 2009, 12:33AM
“To think that Ford/Visteon put Visteon into administration deliberately to avoid the costs involved in its commitments to the Pension Fund and pensioners, and then dump its responsibilities on to the Pension Protection Fund and in time to the tax payer is absolutely astounding. The only motor manufacturer in America not to run to the Government for assistance with its finances, and then publish a quarterly profit of 1 billion dollars. Even more astounding as time goes on and more information comes to the surface, i think people will come to realise that what happened at VISTEON was done deliberately. If you wish to support the Visteon battle for justice please simply go to visteonpensionactiongroup.co.uk and read the information thats there, and if you feel that there has been an injustice then please sign the online e petition to No 10.
Terry. Ammanford”
by Paul Lloyd, Bonymaen Labour Party
Friday, December 18 2009, 8:31PM
“After the disgraceful legal ruling on the British Airways strike ballot, I wouldn't rely on a legal challenge in order to get justice. The British Airways legal ruling showed which side the law is on.”
by Paul Bailey, Essex
Friday, December 18 2009, 6:18PM
“The Visteon pension was launched by Ford with a huge defecit despite members paying for a pension fund at Ford that was in comfortable surplus - the Visteon Pension funds was never fit for purpose. In Fords rush to launch Visteon, pushed by the then CEO Jac Nasser they made promises to employees to stop any resistance to the floatation. That haste by Ford resulted in a Visteon UK business structure that never made a profit and now appears as a dumping ground for Ford factories, people and pensions. With an guestmate figure of an accumulative 50,000 years of Ford service and 2,500 of Visteon you can see you so people are looking to Ford as causing this disaster. Years of Ford service need to be recognised - as we made complusary payments into the Ford scheme - Ford paid nothing for years upon end. The time to pay is now.”
by Mel, Port Talbot
Friday, December 18 2009, 6:05PM
“These guys have been treated shamefully. Visteon UK went into receivership but is still operating as Visteon Engineering from its Midlands base. The US parent company is also still trading and supplying customers such as Ford and Toyota.
The receivership was a scam designed to abandon its commitments and to dump the bill for workers' pensions onto the government and taxpayers.
Ford Motor Comapny, and the banks who make up the majority of its institutional shareholders, are getting substantial financial state support in scrappage schemes and other measures.
Staff moved to Visteon from Ford on the understanding that their jobs and pensions would be secure if they transfered to the new company.
It is time that the company was compelled by the courts, backed by government and politicians, to honour its commitments.”