PRC-UTE
31st March 2009, 23:21
More than 100 workers have staged a sit-in at a factory in west Belfast, the Unite trade union has said.
Earlier, it was announced that 565 staff would go at Visteon car components plants across the UK.
Most of the jobs have been lost with immediate effect. It is not yet clear the total number of employees who will lose their jobs at the Belfast plant.
KPMG said it had no alternative but to close the factory and two others in Basildon and Enfield in England.
Administrators have been called in to the factory which is the former Ford plant.
Visteon has a total workforce of 600 in the United Kingdom.
Unite convenor John Maguire said the workers at the plant had "been treated disgracefully".
"We have been left with no choice but to occupy the factory to save our jobs and to defend jobs for the people of Belfast," he said.
"We are determined to continue our occupation and we appeal on workers throughout Ireland and Britain and internationally to support our fight to defend jobs."
The company in the UK had been waiting to hear if Visteon in America would continue to prop up its three plants.
West Belfast MP Gerry Adams expressed his "deep disappointment".
"Sinn Féin has been liaising closely with the management of Visteon and with the local workforce.
"Our goal throughout has been to retain much needed local employment and defend the rights of the Visteon workers," he said.
"Ford are directly implicated in the future of the Belfast plant, as its sole customer and former owner. If the local workforce is to be told that the plant no longer has a future, Sinn Féin will insist that the management of Ford explain this fate."
Davy McMurray, regional organiser for Unite, said he understood that a handful of workers would be kept on to run the plant down before they too lose their jobs.
Mr McMurray said the way the job cuts were announced was "brutal."
"The administrators just came in, took a meeting of the workforce, told them they were in administration and their employment was terminated. These people are going to be put out on the street tonight."
He called on Ford, as the "sole recipient" of Visteon parts, to show generosity.
'Body blow'
"Ford have a moral responsibility to these people and they are avoiding any responsibility," he said.
He added that they should receive Ford redundancy packages."
SDLP MLA for west Belfast Alex Attwood said it is a "body blow to the area".
"The loss of 210 jobs, part of our much needed manufacturing base, is not the news we want to hear," he said.
"For the workers it will come as terrible news.
Visteon took over the Ford plant in west Belfast in 2000.
It said the remaining employees would assist the administrators in "the orderly wind down of the business".
It added that the UK business had not been profitable "since its incorporation in 2000" and Visteon UK's reported losses totalled £669m.
John Hansen, joint administrator, said: "The entire automotive supply chain has been under pressure for a number of years.
"In the current economic downturn, car sales have dropped dramatically, which has caused further severe pressure on parts suppliers."
KPMG said a separate UK company, Visteon Engineering Services Ltd, was unaffected by the move and would continue "to trade as normal".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7974454.stm
Earlier, it was announced that 565 staff would go at Visteon car components plants across the UK.
Most of the jobs have been lost with immediate effect. It is not yet clear the total number of employees who will lose their jobs at the Belfast plant.
KPMG said it had no alternative but to close the factory and two others in Basildon and Enfield in England.
Administrators have been called in to the factory which is the former Ford plant.
Visteon has a total workforce of 600 in the United Kingdom.
Unite convenor John Maguire said the workers at the plant had "been treated disgracefully".
"We have been left with no choice but to occupy the factory to save our jobs and to defend jobs for the people of Belfast," he said.
"We are determined to continue our occupation and we appeal on workers throughout Ireland and Britain and internationally to support our fight to defend jobs."
The company in the UK had been waiting to hear if Visteon in America would continue to prop up its three plants.
West Belfast MP Gerry Adams expressed his "deep disappointment".
"Sinn Féin has been liaising closely with the management of Visteon and with the local workforce.
"Our goal throughout has been to retain much needed local employment and defend the rights of the Visteon workers," he said.
"Ford are directly implicated in the future of the Belfast plant, as its sole customer and former owner. If the local workforce is to be told that the plant no longer has a future, Sinn Féin will insist that the management of Ford explain this fate."
Davy McMurray, regional organiser for Unite, said he understood that a handful of workers would be kept on to run the plant down before they too lose their jobs.
Mr McMurray said the way the job cuts were announced was "brutal."
"The administrators just came in, took a meeting of the workforce, told them they were in administration and their employment was terminated. These people are going to be put out on the street tonight."
He called on Ford, as the "sole recipient" of Visteon parts, to show generosity.
'Body blow'
"Ford have a moral responsibility to these people and they are avoiding any responsibility," he said.
He added that they should receive Ford redundancy packages."
SDLP MLA for west Belfast Alex Attwood said it is a "body blow to the area".
"The loss of 210 jobs, part of our much needed manufacturing base, is not the news we want to hear," he said.
"For the workers it will come as terrible news.
Visteon took over the Ford plant in west Belfast in 2000.
It said the remaining employees would assist the administrators in "the orderly wind down of the business".
It added that the UK business had not been profitable "since its incorporation in 2000" and Visteon UK's reported losses totalled £669m.
John Hansen, joint administrator, said: "The entire automotive supply chain has been under pressure for a number of years.
"In the current economic downturn, car sales have dropped dramatically, which has caused further severe pressure on parts suppliers."
KPMG said a separate UK company, Visteon Engineering Services Ltd, was unaffected by the move and would continue "to trade as normal".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7974454.stm