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Ford workers unite to fight for Transit plant
11:07am Thursday 11th September 2008
Comments (11)
A CAMPAIGN has been launched demanding that the threat of closure is lifted from Southampton’s Ford plant.
Ford workers and the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) have joined forces to fight for the future of the factory and the workforce of more than 1,000.
The campaigners are holding their first meeting this evening at Swaythling Neighbourhood Centre, Southampton.
Nick Chaffey, a member of the NSSN, warned that if Ford in Southampton closed it would devastate the city’s economy, lead to thousands of job losses in related industries and trigger a national dispute by unions.
He said: “Southampton workers face the prospect of joining the graveyard of the British car industry.
“Older workers may reluctantly accept packages but the younger section, will have nowhere to go.
“For them there is the dole queue, preparing for low-skilled, low-paid jobs.”
The NSSN is fighting to get a reassurance from the company that no more jobs will go and that there are no plans to close the factory.
It also wants the 120 short-term workers who are to be out of a job in October reinstated and the protection of employees pay and conditions.
Organising a national Ford shop stewards conference is also a priority.
In July the Daily Echo exclusively published a leaked memo that revealed that the future of the Swaythling plant was under review. Other leaked company documents showed that plant manager Martin Chapman believed the factory was at “a critical point in its history” and urged other managers to do all they could to cut costs.
It also revealed that the plant was running at a deficit of £6m against budget and may not get the contract for the new model Transit van, which could be made in Turkey.
Your Say YourDaily Echo
Paramjit Bahia, Southampton says...
2:49pm Thu 11 Sep 08
Like all multinational companies Ford also want to exploit workers in developing nations and do not give a **** about those who have dedicated their lives to these firms.
Workers in local plant are hard working and highly productive. Skill wise probably better than the Turkish people who will need training etc.
These companies shift locations because they can asset strip the current plant and make money through subsidies available in new locations. Obviously while the companies are raking easy profits tax payers (mostly workers) end up footing the cost of those grants.
Nick Chaffey is formidable campaigners for working people, I have no doubt if properly supported by the unions this campaign can be answer to the problem.
Son of Fred, Eastleigh says...
2:57pm Thu 11 Sep 08
Ford's investment in Turkey is limited. They only have a 41% holding in Ford-Otosan.
The majority of funds for retooling the Kocaeli plant for the new Transit is being supplied by the Turkish parent company Koc Holdings.
Over in the US Ford are asking for $50 million to help retool their plants and the Canadian government have given them C$80 million.The Romanian government has handed them €57 million (although this gift is now under investigation by the EU).
Ford wants anybody to pay for the cost of retooling their plants except themselves.
This is known as 'Global Externalisation of Cost'
Here in Southampton the Ford want to blackmail the Government into handing over taxpayers money to save jobs or else get the workforce to subsidise the retooling of their own plant by taking a cut in pay and conditions.
Dr Alimantado, Babylon says...
4:42pm Thu 11 Sep 08
They know it is going to happen so instead of risking the dole, start looking now. Get your cv's together, maybe get whatever new skills are needed under your belts to make you employable in a different manufacturing environment. Something, anything is better that chasing assurances that won't come.
Militant Ford Worker, Eastleigh says...
5:21pm Thu 11 Sep 08
Why? Because Ford have taken advantage in a drop in the Turkish market to transfer OUR work there, out of the jurisdiction of the EU, where Vans can be assembled cheaply with no worker rights, no minimum wage, no sick pay and appalling conditions.
Although the vans are built outside of the EU - Ford takes advantage of a recent loophole in EU law that means they can flood the market with cheap vans free of import duty.
Please note, although Ford build the Turkish vans much cheaper they wont be passing on any cost savings to british buyers.
British customers will have to pay just as much for a Turkish built van as for a real one built here at the Swaythling plant.
No wonder, Ford want to transfer out more of our work and they have organised a PAID union meeting to talk us into accepting more cuts or else face closure.
Our reps will be singing the same old song:
"We got to LOSE jobs in order to SAVE jobs"
This will be a good opportunity to let them know how we feel and ask for a ballot for action.
Aim: To reinstate the 120. Let Ford lay off Turkish workers instead.
Also if Ford's Turkish partners are using EU aid to put British Car Workers out of work we should be lobbying our MPs and MEPs to revisit Turkish/UK trade agreements with a view to reinstating the tarif on Turkish Auto imports that exsisted prior to 1996.
southy, redbridge says...
6:45pm Thu 11 Sep 08
ford worker should buy the plant of fords and start building there own vans.fords will make a very big loss when or if they move to turkey
Militant Ford Worker, Eastleigh says...
7:02pm Thu 11 Sep 08
southy wrote:The Turkish EU Customs Union which came into exsistenc in 1996 is still in place I'm sorry to say Southy. A Turkish Van costs the same as a real one, even with added VAT.
there is no loop hole that was closed a while back with the EU anti flooding laws.to buy a transit from turkey would put the cost of the van up by 17.5%,i can see any one buying a transit at that price when there are better EU vans on the market.
ford worker should buy the plant of fords and start building there own vans.fords will make a very big loss when or if they move to turkey
A worker led buyout isn't a bad idea at all but I think National ownership is a better one.
After all, the Tranny is 'The Backbone of Britain' and unlike the recently nationalised Northern Rock the Plant is making a profit.
Ford can't be trusted with our national industrial assets just look what they did to Jaguar!
paul b, Mottisfont says...
7:10pm Thu 11 Sep 08
Paramjit Bahia, Southampton says...
7:16pm Thu 11 Sep 08
southy wrote:South, I do not see why workers should buy the plant, which in moral language is in fact theirs in the first place. After all it was their hard work that paid for this plant. If we had a real socialist government rather than these Conservatised New Labour it should take over the plant without any compensation and hand it over to the workers.
there is no loop hole that was closed a while back with the EU anti flooding laws.to buy a transit from turkey would put the cost of the van up by 17.5%,i can see any one buying a transit at that price when there are better EU vans on the market.ford worker should buy the plant of fords and start building there own vans.fords will make a very big loss when or if they move to turkey
obelisker, Southampton says...
7:20pm Thu 11 Sep 08
southy, redbridge says...
10:50pm Thu 11 Sep 08
nationalize them is a good idea to,but what i was thinking of was in the lines of a co-op,sod the government if it was nationalized they would only sale it to the highest bidder,try a co-op and keep it away from any government.
Ford workers unite to fight for Transit plant
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Finlay, Des Moines Iowa says...
2:01pm Thu 11 Sep 08
No-one told you guys then? Ford have invested a squillion dollars into a new plant in Turkey.
They are shutting the plant in Southampton - Too expensive to run you see. Labor costs, energy costs, taxes blah blah blah ... As a consequence they are REALLY going to Turkey