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Protests in Parliament Square do not always guarantee a response from the parliamentarians inside the Commons. For the Visteon pensioners, it might be thought that sheer persistence had brought rewards: a protest by 200 members of the Visteon Pension Action group last month marked the sixth such gathering in Westminster in the four years since the British subsidiary of the US automotive supplier collapsed.
While their tenacity is to be admired, the VPAG pensioners have had the ear of influential MPs for some time. Visteon UK’s demise saw factories in Belfast, Swansea, Basildon and Enfield close down. For Stephen Metcalfe, the Conservative MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, one of those facilities was in his constituency. From his first MP’s surgery, former workers at the plant made him aware of an alarming issue: the collapsed company had left scores of retirees facing financial hardship because of cuts to their pensions. “It became an issue I had to champion,” says Metcalfe.
MPs in other parts of the country felt the same: Geraint Davies, Labour and Co-operative MP for Swansea West, co-chairs with Metcalfe a parliamentary group on the Visteon dispute. Their last debate on the subject attracted more than 30 MPs from across the political spectrum. Westminster was listening.
Now the pensioners hope Ford will sit up and pay attention. Visteon UK was spun out of the US automotive giant at the turn of the millennium before collapsing in 2009. There was a £350 million deficit in its pension plan that has led to cuts of up to 60% for some VPAG members’ pensions. Now they say Ford, the former parent, should pick up the tab. Ford has remained silent on the issue other than to deny that pension provision was guaranteed for the employees of the new Visteon. This will be tested in court, it is to be hoped this year, say the protesters, who have mounted a case on behalf of 1,400 pensioners.
Metcalfe has written to Alan Mulally, president and chief executive of Ford, to highlight the pensioners’ plight and request a meeting. US media are said to be paying attention to the story for the first time. The hope is that the increased pressure will see Ford engage with the issue. Metcalfe says he does not want to comment on the specifics
of the legal case, which is being backed by trade union Unite.
But he does say: “Ford should stop prevaricating on this issue.” He argues that while no one would have wanted to “kick Ford when it was down” during the financial crisis, the relative health of the US firm now means it can afford to restore the pensions of the former Visteon employees. Further, even if the legal challenge is defeated, Ford has a moral obligation to do so, he says.
Four years on from the collapse of Visteon UK, it seems that the pensioners are ratcheting up the pressure. They will hope not to have to be protesting in Parliament Square this time next year. But with the legal case against Ford dragging on, there are no guarantees of a speedy resolution. And time is of the essence for retirees facing a less comfortable future than they might reasonably have expected.