Staff at Swaythling Transit plant threaten strike action to Ford bosses

4:27pm Wednesday 22nd October 2008

By Simon Carr

That is the threat of hundreds of Ford employees who staged a walkout and streamed out of the giant Southampton plant an hour before their shift was due to finish.

The workers downed tools to protest against the motor giant’s plan to slash output, cut jobs and export production of the iconic Transit.

A campaign leaflet written by workers says the staff give the company 30 days to reverse its plans and commit to building the new generation Transit in Southampton.

It goes on to say failure to do so should be followed by full-scale industrial action on a national level.

It states: “Ford know they will have a market for the new Transit. A mass campaign can force them to put its future production in Southampton.”

A worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I’m sick of the uncertainty, and we all felt we needed to do something.

“The company is riding roughshod over everyone and getting things in place to start scaling down. The union has to ballot for strike action now before it is too late.”

Another said: “This is only the beginning. It is the first step in our fight to save our jobs. We will not lay down and just accept these plans that we all know will lead to the closure of the plant.

Unite union national officer Dave Osborne said: “While I cannot condone the walkout I completely understand it, as the company has completely betrayed the workers in refusing to guarantee the future of the UK plants.

“I think their feelings are shared by their colleagues up and down the country but it is worse for the people in Southampton as they are the ones in imminent danger of losing their jobs.”

He went on to say that trade unions were seeking an urgent meeting with the bosses of Ford in Europe for assurances that the future of the plant and jobs would be protected before considering balloting on industrial action.

Bobby Noyes, Southampton Trade Unions Council president, is due to meet with Ford workers and union representatives today.

She told the Daily Echo: “We will support anything the Ford workers do to defend their jobs, and that includes strike action. We will support them in any demonstrations and industrial action.”

Campaigner Nick Chaffey, of National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN), said he would like to see workers push for a union-backed strike.

He said: “All the workers I have spoken to have said they are frustrated and want to fight for their jobs, and I would support them in industrial action.

“I think many feel the walkout was just the first step and that it needs to be followed up by strike action.”