Call for Southampton workers to join Euro fight against Ford

7:31am Monday 12th November 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Matt Smith, Politics and business reporter

Call for Southampton workers to join Euro fight against Ford Call for Southampton workers to join Euro fight against Ford

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Union bosses and politicians have called on Southampton transit workers to join them in a united Euro fight against Ford job cuts.

Last month the car giant announced it was closing sites across Europe including Southampton’s Swaythling plant, with the loss of 500 jobs, and a factory in Genk, Belgium, which employs 4,300.

Yesterday more than 20,000 marched through the Belgian city against the cuts and while they were joined by representatives from Ford plants across Europe there was no one from Southampton.

For the full story click here

A tale of two cities - Genk and Southampton

See here for all the latest news and background on Ford

Comments(14)

__KTF__ says...
7:53am Mon 12 Nov 12

Given that the workers will probably lose access to their redundancy bonuses if they do this, how popular an option does the Union think this will be?

Also, its not going to reverse what has happened so what is the point?

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saint61 says...
8:11am Mon 12 Nov 12

hmmmm....I will stand to lose 6 months bonus if I strike..........let me think about it.

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hulla baloo says...
8:24am Mon 12 Nov 12

Come on Southy, rally the troops. You have predicted this, called for and backed a strike, will you go and support them?

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Southampton boy says...
9:07am Mon 12 Nov 12

I don't understand the reasoning behind this action Fords make its plans 5 to 10 years in advance so this was being looked at years ago, walking out will not change their minds but if the EU and the UK put an import tax on their importing of car's and Vans then this would hurt them. The EU give them a loan of £80m the UK give them £10m this was dome with no thoght for the workers here or in the EU the other way is for the british to stop buyng Fords they are not a cheap car anyway hit them were it hurts reduce sells that is all they understand. IF the Southampton lads walk out they will be them self no good it's al down to our MP's and EMP's and I think V Cable has a lort to answer for good luck to all that are losing their jobs

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ohec says...
10:26am Mon 12 Nov 12

The Ford employed workers want to treat this call for strike action with the contempt it deserves, you stand to lose a lot of money for no gain. For some reason the Echo seem determined to whip up trouble, yes the workers in Belgium had a demonstration but what has that got to do with Southampton ? nothing is the answer and nothing is what it will achieve.
Despite what southy says Ford have been in trouble for years offloading companies left right and centre to save money so nothing will stop the closure, just let it die quietly with a few bob in your pocket.

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townieboy says...
11:10am Mon 12 Nov 12

AND LOOSE A £20,000 BONUS. FORGET IT. WASTE OF TIME AND CASH.

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ohec says...
11:39am Mon 12 Nov 12

Southampton boy wrote:
I don't understand the reasoning behind this action Fords make its plans 5 to 10 years in advance so this was being looked at years ago, walking out will not change their minds but if the EU and the UK put an import tax on their importing of car's and Vans then this would hurt them. The EU give them a loan of £80m the UK give them £10m this was dome with no thoght for the workers here or in the EU the other way is for the british to stop buyng Fords they are not a cheap car anyway hit them were it hurts reduce sells that is all they understand. IF the Southampton lads walk out they will be them self no good it's al down to our MP's and EMP's and I think V Cable has a lort to answer for good luck to all that are losing their jobs
So because Southampton is closing you think its a good idea to jeopardise even more British jobs with your silly ideas, it may have escaped your notice but Southampton is only a tiny part of the U.K. and hopefully other Ford operations will continue to thrive.There as been talk about supporting the Belgian plant but not a mention about the Dagenham boys who are losing their jobs.

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St Retford says...
12:15pm Mon 12 Nov 12

I'm going to protest by not buying a Transit van. Who's with me, comrades?

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Cyber__Fug says...
1:25pm Mon 12 Nov 12

St Retford wrote:
I'm going to protest by not buying a Transit van. Who's with me, comrades?
I have already done that.....infact, I have never bought one.

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St Retford says...
1:33pm Mon 12 Nov 12

Cyber__Fug wrote:
St Retford wrote:
I'm going to protest by not buying a Transit van. Who's with me, comrades?
I have already done that.....infact, I have never bought one.
I've not bought one loads of times. I'm quite the radical on this.

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100%HANTSBOY says...
6:15pm Mon 12 Nov 12

St Retford wrote:
Cyber__Fug wrote:
St Retford wrote:
I'm going to protest by not buying a Transit van. Who's with me, comrades?
I have already done that.....infact, I have never bought one.
I've not bought one loads of times. I'm quite the radical on this.
Count me in! I'm not gonna buy one either! And I'm 100% behind my this! I've not bought a Bentley since production was moved abroad...and I've stuck to this!!

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100%HANTSBOY says...
6:20pm Mon 12 Nov 12

100%HANTSBOY wrote:
St Retford wrote:
Cyber__Fug wrote:
St Retford wrote:
I'm going to protest by not buying a Transit van. Who's with me, comrades?
I have already done that.....infact, I have never bought one.
I've not bought one loads of times. I'm quite the radical on this.
Count me in! I'm not gonna buy one either! And I'm 100% behind my this! I've not bought a Bentley since production was moved abroad...and I've stuck to this!!
Wow just found out they didn't! I'm gutted,all those years of not buying Bentleys!!

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gillyman says...
8:09pm Mon 12 Nov 12

Cyber__Fug wrote:
St Retford wrote: I'm going to protest by not buying a Transit van. Who's with me, comrades?
I have already done that.....infact, I have never bought one.
no wonder the southampton plant is closing

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Pikey Pete says...
12:50am Tue 13 Nov 12

Do we all really think this...?

We all bought in the UK. Ford Transit Vans instead of...VW, Nissan, Renault..ETC....

Fords Southampton would still be open..?

NO...It would have closed sooner.!!! They were only thinking of the bottom line.

Making them in Turkey or China or anywhere...

Thing is...where does this jobs lost to others stop?? As in where is the money for the economy going to come from?

We have no building trade...No Vehicle making. No Dimplex No all the others....

We cant keep opening retail outlets for people to buy stuff. Who now only work in other retail outlets.

It doesn't equate. Melt down has started.

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