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| Car factory job protests spread | Car factory job protests spread |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Former workers from the car parts firm Visteon have attempted to occupy two more factories on Wednesday. | Former workers from the car parts firm Visteon have attempted to occupy two more factories on Wednesday. |
| The action follows an overnight sit-in at the Visteon plant in Belfast. | The action follows an overnight sit-in at the Visteon plant in Belfast. |
| People who were sacked on Tuesday protested at factories in Basildon in Essex and Enfield, north London. In total 560 workers lost their jobs. | People who were sacked on Tuesday protested at factories in Basildon in Essex and Enfield, north London. In total 560 workers lost their jobs. |
| The protesters claimed the company's former owner and main customer, Ford, had promised redundancy contracts which they now want to see honoured. | |
| About 100 former workers spent the night at the Belfast plant. | About 100 former workers spent the night at the Belfast plant. |
| Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams spoke to them on Wednesday morning in the canteen where many of them had spent the night. | Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams spoke to them on Wednesday morning in the canteen where many of them had spent the night. |
| He said Ford had a moral responsibility to do the right thing by their former employees. | He said Ford had a moral responsibility to do the right thing by their former employees. |
| He said his party would be lobbying the New York comptroller's office, which has pension funds invested in Ford, to bring pressure to bear. | He said his party would be lobbying the New York comptroller's office, which has pension funds invested in Ford, to bring pressure to bear. |
| The Visteon workers want their guarantees on pay and conditions, when the company was established out of the existing Ford plant nine years ago, to be honoured. | The Visteon workers want their guarantees on pay and conditions, when the company was established out of the existing Ford plant nine years ago, to be honoured. |
| Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster is to discuss the manufacturing situation with Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey. | Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster is to discuss the manufacturing situation with Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey. |
| Ford is the sole customer and former owner of the Visteon plant | Ford is the sole customer and former owner of the Visteon plant |
| She said: "The priority for myself, led by the Department of Employment and Learning, will be to skill and re-skill the men and women in west Belfast. | She said: "The priority for myself, led by the Department of Employment and Learning, will be to skill and re-skill the men and women in west Belfast. |
| "This factory is closing, we must look to the future for those men and women. | "This factory is closing, we must look to the future for those men and women. |
| "We know the manufacturing and construction sector are feeling very sore at the minute. They are having to deal with a very harsh economic reality and we want to help them in whatever way we can." | "We know the manufacturing and construction sector are feeling very sore at the minute. They are having to deal with a very harsh economic reality and we want to help them in whatever way we can." |
| The administrators, KPMG, said it had no alternative but to close the factories. | The administrators, KPMG, said it had no alternative but to close the factories. |
| Representatives from KPMG also spent the night in the Belfast plant. | Representatives from KPMG also spent the night in the Belfast plant. |
| Under pressure | Under pressure |
| Visteon had a total workforce of 600 in the United Kingdom. | Visteon had a total workforce of 600 in the United Kingdom. |
| The company in the UK had been waiting to hear if Visteon in America would continue to prop up its three plants. | The company in the UK had been waiting to hear if Visteon in America would continue to prop up its three plants. |
| Visteon took over the Ford plant in west Belfast in 2000. | 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 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. | 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." | John Hansen, joint administrator, said: "The entire automotive supply chain has been under pressure for a number of years." |