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| Car factory job protests spread | Car factory job protests spread |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Sacked workers from the car components firm Visteon have been occupying three factories in protest. | |
| The action began with an overnight sit-in at the plant in Belfast on Tuesday. | |
| Fifty people who were sacked on Tuesday are on the roof of the plant in Enfield, north London. Others are holding a sit-in in Basildon in Essex. | |
| The protesters claimed the company's former owner and main customer, Ford, had promised redundancy contracts which they now want to see honoured. | 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. | Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams spoke to them on Wednesday morning. |
| 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. |
| Workers spent the night at the Belfast factory | Workers spent the night at the Belfast factory |
| 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. |
| 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 610 in the United Kingdom. Five hundred and sixty five of them were sacked on Tuesday. | Visteon had a total workforce of 610 in the United Kingdom. Five hundred and sixty five of them were sacked on Tuesday. |
| 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. |
| 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." |
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| Protesting staff at Visteon UK in Basildon begin a fight for redundancy payments after the factory closes | Protesting staff at Visteon UK in Basildon begin a fight for redundancy payments after the factory closes |