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10:06am Saturday 2nd May 2009 in
HE spent three decades putting together iconic Transit vans and is now fighting for the political power to safeguard their future at the Southampton plant.
On the day he walked out the factory, with 550 fellow workers who have been made redundant, grandfather Kevin Hayes, 57, declared he will be standing as a Save the Transit candidate at the upcoming European elections.
The motor giant blamed this wave of job cuts on the recession and a drop in demand but had already announced plans to export the Transit and use the downsized Swaythling factory solely to produce chassis cabs.
These plans were pushed back due to the recession.
Dad-of-two, Kevin, from Bassett, said: “I am standing to continue the campaign that has been running ever since the Daily Echo revealed the plant was under threat all those months ago.
“Just because I’m no longer there it doesn’t mean Ford is not important to me, the remaining workers and the whole area.
“I think Ford bosses are still weighing up the future of the Southampton plant and if we lose the Transit the factory just won’t be able to stay open.
“I hope that my standing on this one issue will make the message more powerful and highlight other problems affecting the motor industry.”
He went on to say it was important to keep fighting to ensure the future of the remaining jobs.
He will be standing for the South East region for the NO2EU – Yes to Democracy coalition.
His political aspirations emerged yesterday as half the Ford workforce – with more than 14,000 years’ experience – handed in their uniforms, shook hands with their managers and walked out the gate for the last time.
It was an emotional day for workers who had taken voluntary redundancy or opted for early retirement and many took some time to have one last look around.
Stefan Jerabek, 56, of Gosport, left after 31 years, and said: “I feel empty inside.”
“It’s not like going on holiday because you are not thinking how you are going to cram lots of things into a small space of time, it is stretching out in front of you with no end.”
Bruce Golding-Coney, 52, of Christchurch, left after 30 years, and said: “I’m one of the lucky ones because I don’t have to work.
“I feel sorry for those who still have to work.”
The Daily Echo exclusively revealed that 500 jobs would be axed in February.
Ford bosses claim they are committed to the future of Southampton plant but only as a site to manufacture chassis cabs.
Comments(36)
Militant Ford Worker
says...
11:11am Sat 2 May 09
Finlay wrote:Most people can't see how membership of the EU has decimated Local jobs.
Oh dear
Another sad attempt to revive the Fordasgonefergud dinosaur that became extinct c2008. I guess he can show the grand kids a piccie of grandad in the local papers before being forgotton forever just like the Ford factory
southy
says...
11:26am Sat 2 May 09
thesaint
says...
1:00pm Sat 2 May 09
forcaster
says...
1:09pm Sat 2 May 09
Paramjit Bahia
says...
2:50pm Sat 2 May 09
Iw61
says...
2:55pm Sat 2 May 09
forcaster wrote:Are you infering that Russia is a Communist Country?
Hey, Southy why dont you go to your friends in RUSSIA they need idiots like you.
Iw61
says...
2:58pm Sat 2 May 09
Finlay wrote:Finlay, why did you leave the UK?
Oh dear Another sad attempt to revive the Fordasgonefergud dinosaur that became extinct c2008. I guess he can show the grand kids a piccie of grandad in the local papers before being forgotton forever just like the Ford factory
southy
says...
3:47pm Sat 2 May 09
Iw61 wrote:take no notice off this guy, the only person he care about is him self he had greed bread into him for so long he dont know any other way.
Finlay wrote:Finlay, why did you leave the UK?
Oh dear Another sad attempt to revive the Fordasgonefergud dinosaur that became extinct c2008. I guess he can show the grand kids a piccie of grandad in the local papers before being forgotton forever just like the Ford factory
Is it because you are a coward and cant confront the real issues facing people in this country?
Youy comments bring hilarity to all who read them. Like forcaster from Spain you are an idiot!!
southy
says...
3:50pm Sat 2 May 09
stay local
says...
4:06pm Sat 2 May 09
Militant Ford Worker
says...
4:31pm Sat 2 May 09
stay local wrote:He is not using his redundacy payout for a deposit. The NO2EU campaign is being sposored by the RMT trade union to give a voice to ordinary working people like you and me.People whose jobs are under threat from EU free market lunacy. Here in the South East we have a Ford worker standing elsewhere there is a postman - there may well be an LDV candidate in the west midlands. Don't know where Kev is on the list but if he is near the top under PR he stands a good chance of winning - he would only need 14% of Vote - thats how the greens and UKIP get in.
How will he fare against the candidate for "save LDV vans"?
Or perhaps the save the Pontiac Firebird candidate?
I suspect there are better things that people could spend their money on in preference to supporting a lame duck industry. Likewise I suspect there are more useful things someone can do with their redundancy payout, rather than pay their election expenses
Nick Chaffey
says...
4:36pm Sat 2 May 09
thesaint
says...
4:37pm Sat 2 May 09
Finlay wrote:yep like the usa usa bankers who gave loans to hillbillys,and how is the usa car industry doing,oh i forgot its europe bailing them out with the profits in europe,
Oh dear
Another sad attempt to revive the Fordasgonefergud dinosaur that became extinct c2008. I guess he can show the grand kids a piccie of grandad in the local papers before being forgotton forever just like the Ford factory
stay local
says...
4:39pm Sat 2 May 09
Militant Ford Worker wrote:"sposored by the RMT trade union to give a voice to ordinary working people like you and me." was that not the job of the labour party? If they are not supporting the voice of the working man why is the union financing them?
stay local wrote: How will he fare against the candidate for "save LDV vans"? Or perhaps the save the Pontiac Firebird candidate? I suspect there are better things that people could spend their money on in preference to supporting a lame duck industry. Likewise I suspect there are more useful things someone can do with their redundancy payout, rather than pay their election expensesHe is not using his redundacy payout for a deposit. The NO2EU campaign is being sposored by the RMT trade union to give a voice to ordinary working people like you and me.People whose jobs are under threat from EU free market lunacy. Here in the South East we have a Ford worker standing elsewhere there is a postman - there may well be an LDV candidate in the west midlands. Don't know where Kev is on the list but if he is near the top under PR he stands a good chance of winning - he would only need 14% of Vote - thats how the greens and UKIP get in. Why not come along to a public meeting to meet candidates and find out more? Dockers Club, Brunswick Sq, Southampton. Thurs 7th May, 7.30.
southy
says...
5:24pm Sat 2 May 09
Georgem
says...
5:25pm Sat 2 May 09
Iw61 wrote:No, he's implying it. You're inferring that that's what he's implying. Right, pedantry over :)
forcaster wrote:Are you infering that Russia is a Communist Country?
Hey, Southy why dont you go to your friends in RUSSIA they need idiots like you.
Dont you read history books? Russia is as capitalist as the UK!!
Idiot!
southy
says...
5:34pm Sat 2 May 09
Georgem
says...
5:36pm Sat 2 May 09
southy wrote:Heh heh yeh! The "imply/infer" mix-up is just one of my pet peeves!
lol Georgem, bored again
Militant Ford Worker
says...
6:34pm Sat 2 May 09
stay local wrote:You are obviously unaware that the RMT very publicly disaffliated itself from the Labour Party a little while ago because they believed it no longer represented the aspiraions of ordinary working men and women.
Militant Ford Worker wrote:"sposored by the RMT trade union to give a voice to ordinary working people like you and me." was that not the job of the labour party? If they are not supporting the voice of the working man why is the union financing them?
stay local wrote: How will he fare against the candidate for "save LDV vans"? Or perhaps the save the Pontiac Firebird candidate? I suspect there are better things that people could spend their money on in preference to supporting a lame duck industry. Likewise I suspect there are more useful things someone can do with their redundancy payout, rather than pay their election expensesHe is not using his redundacy payout for a deposit. The NO2EU campaign is being sposored by the RMT trade union to give a voice to ordinary working people like you and me.People whose jobs are under threat from EU free market lunacy. Here in the South East we have a Ford worker standing elsewhere there is a postman - there may well be an LDV candidate in the west midlands. Don't know where Kev is on the list but if he is near the top under PR he stands a good chance of winning - he would only need 14% of Vote - thats how the greens and UKIP get in. Why not come along to a public meeting to meet candidates and find out more? Dockers Club, Brunswick Sq, Southampton. Thurs 7th May, 7.30.
Also why are the militant ford workers not following the lead of the other car unions in the US where they have agree a reduction in their package as a means of supporting the company and making it more sustainable or are you hoping to be a militant redundant ex ford worker?
Condor Man
says...
7:00pm Sat 2 May 09
southy
says...
8:28pm Sat 2 May 09
Condor Man
says...
10:43pm Sat 2 May 09
southy wrote:what? the mess she inherited 30 years ago this week? If you look at some of the crackpot ideas Tony Benn had whilst he was Trade Secretary it was little wonder than the country was bankrupt in the 70's.
it was because off what m.thatcher done is why we are in this mess, labour only guilty off carrying on the same work that thacter started and not renationalizing industry. every since 1979 the people off this country have been sold down the river, not just the EU here in the uk to.
Peter Stewart
says...
7:25am Sun 3 May 09
thesaint
says...
8:10am Sun 3 May 09
Condor Man wrote:she did some good things and also caused massive breakdown of society,hence the drug problems and the mass unemployment,the effects of a overvalued pound while no worldwide recession,she is not a patch on the likes of churchill,attlee,bev
southy wrote:what? the mess she inherited 30 years ago this week? If you look at some of the crackpot ideas Tony Benn had whilst he was Trade Secretary it was little wonder than the country was bankrupt in the 70's.
it was because off what m.thatcher done is why we are in this mess, labour only guilty off carrying on the same work that thacter started and not renationalizing industry. every since 1979 the people off this country have been sold down the river, not just the EU here in the uk to.
The Swaythling plant has been on borrowed time for years, like the LDV factory in Birmingham. Perhaps if the Police didn't use Merc vans they would have gone for Transit instead?
Too much competition, especially when VW produce in Eastern Europe and other stuff is made in Korea. Wait until cars roll in from India and China, no plant in Europe could compete with them.
jaspm7
says...
10:16am Sun 3 May 09
Peter Stewart
says...
11:29am Sun 3 May 09
Son of Fred
says...
1:22pm Sun 3 May 09
southy
says...
1:50pm Sun 3 May 09
Condor Man wrote:there was no mess till after 1979. by the time labour left office the british war dept was nearly paid up, all thacther had to do was sit it out for the remaining 4 years of the recession that started in 1978. but she could not do that she wanted to line her friends pockets, and made the recession last longer than it should off and push us deeper in to recession and increase the dept we was in, when she took over office there was only about 1million unemployed, a the exports was greater than the imports, with in 3 years off her in office unemployment was over 4 million so she started to cook the books to make it look good by not counting any one that was unemployed for more tham 6mts and there was other things she did not count. the imports became greater than our exports increasing the national dept to the state where we where nearly bankrupt, and still paying for it. she change the banking laws and what was the first thing she do, she moves her money to lichtenstein bank and this only the tip off the ice berg there is much more damage she done ie education health service ect ect ect ect ect the list is to long to go though, so strikes is only a small price to pay for and it did not effect are oversea buyers they still got there goods because off the surplus stock pile this all change in the 80's with our manufactory base gone we was not producing goods for export, the only thing that is saving us from total bankruptcies is the what is know has the hidden trade. but this has only slowed it down and giving us time to correct the 80's government errors whitch the labour government has not done all they been doing is working for the multinationals do a tory job but better.
southy wrote:what? the mess she inherited 30 years ago this week? If you look at some of the crackpot ideas Tony Benn had whilst he was Trade Secretary it was little wonder than the country was bankrupt in the 70's.
it was because off what m.thatcher done is why we are in this mess, labour only guilty off carrying on the same work that thacter started and not renationalizing industry. every since 1979 the people off this country have been sold down the river, not just the EU here in the uk to.
The Swaythling plant has been on borrowed time for years, like the LDV factory in Birmingham. Perhaps if the Police didn't use Merc vans they would have gone for Transit instead?
Too much competition, especially when VW produce in Eastern Europe and other stuff is made in Korea. Wait until cars roll in from India and China, no plant in Europe could compete with them.
Finlay
says...
1:58pm Sun 3 May 09
southy
says...
2:39pm Sun 3 May 09
Finlay
says...
3:10pm Sun 3 May 09
southy
says...
4:05pm Sun 3 May 09
Son of Fred
says...
5:14pm Sun 3 May 09
Peter Stewart wrote:You are right Peter, Ford has betrayed Britain.
YOUR FORD JOB IS BEING AXED FOR ONE REASON
Under the EU-Turkey Customs Union, Ford can export your job to Turkey to exploit cheap labour and then import Turkish vans (and parts) back into Britain without paying a penny in tariffs. That’s how the EU has sold you out.
By exporting your job to Turkey, Ford will increase its profit. To make a profit is necessary, but to make an UNFAIR profit is “profiteering”. All definitions of “profiteering” involve “unfairness”. So is it “unfair” for Ford to export your job to Turkey?
A Turkish worker might argue that it IS fair to export your job to Turkey. I have even heard some British people arguing that to enrich the lives of Turkish workers by exporting your job to Turkey is both fair and charitable.
But such views are misplaced and immoral. There is no “charity” in taking our possessions, rights, jobs etc. against our will and giving them to others. That is THEFT not charity. We must blame successive Conservative and Labour governments for this appalling theft and betrayal since 1973.
I therefore accuse Ford of profiteering and betraying Britain and I ACCUSE THE EU OF THEFT OF JOBS. I call on you to show your anger in the forthcoming elections on June 4th, by voting tactically for any party which supports leaving the EU or is committed to offering British voters a referendum on our EU “membership”.
Doctor Drutta
says...
9:53pm Sun 3 May 09
soton1980
says...
3:30pm Mon 4 May 09
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Finlay says...
10:43am Sat 2 May 09
Another sad attempt to revive the Fordasgonefergud dinosaur that became extinct c2008. I guess he can show the grand kids a piccie of grandad in the local papers before being forgotton forever just like the Ford factory