Former Visteon workers to take their case to high court (From Echo)
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Former Visteon workers to take their case to high court
9:00am Tuesday 26th February 2013 in News By Luke Lambert
Protestors at last year's march at Westminster
MORE than 1,400 former staff who lost their pension rights when Visteon will have thier cases considered at London’s High Court.
Ex-workers have been fighting Visteon’s parent company Ford for compensation since 2009 when Visteon went bust.
Among them were 170 workers from the car component factory in Christopher Martin Road, Basildon, but now all former staff will have their claims considered at the High Court in April.
Paul Bailey, 63, of Wincoat Drive in Benfleet, used to work at the Basildon factory and lost his pension rights when Visteon went bust.
He said: “I worked for Ford for 33 years and was then moved to Visteon for two years. It is so sad to see that four years down the line we are still fighting. I can only thank everyone for their support and encourage them to continue doing so.”
The Unite union has been trying to force Ford to recognise its duty to pay the axed workers from its own retirement fund. Many Visteon workers first signed contracts with Ford before being transferred across. The ex workers claim they were promised equal pay, pension and redundancy rights to Ford staff when Visteon was created, but ended up with just statutory redundancy payouts and told their pension trust had a £260million deficit.
Stephen Metcalfe, South Basildon and East Thurrock MP, is chairing an all-party parliamentary group investigating the failure of the Visteon pension fund.
Ford recently declined to attend a meeting with MPs at the House of Commons but Mr Metcalfe continues to pursue the firm.
He said: “We have contacted Ford in the USA as the UK group don’t want to speak in light of forthcoming legal proceedings. The parliamentary group has written an open letter to them in Michigan and we are looking for them to acknowledge that Ford were morally responsible for what happened.”
Comments(12)
perini
says...
12:28pm Tue 26 Feb 13
Cosmo Spring wrote:Apart from promising 'mirror' terms prior to the spin off!! Oh! and after assuring all that being part of NewCo (Visteon) wouldn't make any difference to pay, working conditions or pensions. Yes - it's all to do with Ford!
Nothing to do with Ford
Carnabackable
says...
3:01pm Tue 26 Feb 13
William S
says...
6:47pm Tue 26 Feb 13
..Ford is NOT responsible....!!!
Cosmo Spring
says...
6:57pm Tue 26 Feb 13
William S wrote:that version of Visteon can't afford to weigh them out whereas Ford could....
what about current Visteon Group still operating / trading - why not target them as the real/current owners of the missing funds/pension pot.???.............
..Ford is NOT responsible....!!!
laindonangler
says...
8:40pm Tue 26 Feb 13
nsionactiongroup.co.
uk/evidence.html
This is the crux of the Matter what they were told before being 'sold off' and hence why Ford should act responsibly towards their former employees. A so called Blue Chip Company - Not in My books
Oh and NO I am NOT a Visteon Pensioner
Ian P
says...
7:29am Wed 27 Feb 13
Cosmo Spring wrote:Fortunately for the people affected, responsibility will be decided by a High Court Judge who will be in full possession of all the evidence, rather than by some armchair legal expert who is clearly not aware of the background to this case.
Nothing to do with Ford
perini
says...
10:06am Wed 27 Feb 13
Carnabackable wrote:You really are a stupid ignoramus!
They should have taken a private pension plan, too late now to carp on about, what is a non event.
perini
says...
10:07am Wed 27 Feb 13
William S wrote:It was a UK pension fund - Visteon UK stopped trading 31 March 2009! QED
what about current Visteon Group still operating / trading - why not target them as the real/current owners of the missing funds/pension pot.???............. ..Ford is NOT responsible....!!!
laindonangler
says...
12:16pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Cosmo Spring
says...
12:26pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Maybe the VPAg blokes should bung a picket line outside it...
Carnabackable
says...
2:54pm Wed 27 Feb 13
perini wrote:And you are a silly igyouranus
Carnabackable wrote:You really are a stupid ignoramus!
They should have taken a private pension plan, too late now to carp on about, what is a non event.
Cosmo Spring says...
11:57am Tue 26 Feb 13