8:46am Thursday 30th October 2008
By Simon Carr
SCORES of people have signed a petition in support of Southampton’s Ford workers.
Since the petition was posted on the Prime Minister’s website it has become one of the most well supported in the area of business and industry.
More than 1,000 people have already added their names to the petition, posted by a Hampshire grandmother who hopes people power will force the Government to get behind the workers.
The petition urges the PM to step in and help Ford find the £100m the company claims it needs to retool the plant.
Paola Slominski posted the petition on Gordon Brown’s website just a couple of weeks ago and within days it had reached the magic 200 mark which guarantees a Government response.
Since then it has gone from strength to strength and become one of the most most heavily supported petitions about business and industry on the site.
Paola, 77, of Eastleigh started the petition because her son Stephen works at the factory and she was deeply worried about Ford’s plan to slash output from 75,000 to 35,000, cut jobs and export Transit production to Turkey.
The Daily Echo reported yesterday that the motor giant invested £70m after the Welsh Assembly pledged £13.4m.
Paola said: “I’m ecstatic can’t believe that the petition has had this much response and I hope this makes the Prime Minister realise how important the plant is.
“It is important the PM knows how people feel – nobody wants to see the factory close.”
The Ford factory has a special place in Paola’s heart as eight members of her family have worked at the site from when it was owned by Cunliffe Owens and made parts for Spitfires, through Briggs Autobodies to its current day incarnation.
Campaigner Nick Chaffey, of the National Shop Stewards Network, said: “I am delighted that this petition is doing so well and it shows the strength of public feeling.
Nick has also collected several hundred signatures on a paper petition that he took to the streets of Shirley.
Other politicians have already pledged their support for the cause with 28 MPs signed up to an early day motion supporting the Ford workers and emphasising the importance of the plant.
The workers also have a cabinet minister behind them with Secretary of State John Denham, MP for Southampton Itchen, pledging support.
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