Belfast
Protests continue in Belfast for sacked Nortel workers
Protests continued today in support of 87 workers sacked with no redundancies at the Nortel plant outside Belfast last March.
Workers and protestors gathered outside the Bedford Street offices of Nortel's administrators, Ernst & Young, in Belfast. Members of Organise! joined the sacked workers as they unfurled banners and handed information lealfets to shoppers and workers in central Belfast.
Report and reflections on the UK Ford-Visteon dispute 2009 - a post-Fordist struggle
A detailed account and analysis of the struggle of Ford-Visteon car manufacturing workers who occupied and picketed their plants after being sacked when their employers declared themselves bankrupt.
In June 2000 Ford Motor Company outsourced the production of certain component parts to a new company called Visteon - in reality a spin off company of Ford and in which Ford retained a 60% holding. Visteon runs factories all over the globe: in America, Europe and Asia, for example.
Sacked traffic wardens continue protest in Belfast
Protests continued today for former Belfast traffic wardens after 26 were sacked in April for taking part in unofficial strike action.
Around 30 people were present at today's protest, made up of the sacked workers, supporters from Organise! and representatives from the union representing the workers, the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (Nipsa). The protests are now a daily occurrence on May Street in Belfast, where the offices of the employer National Car Parks (NCP) are located.
Belfast Visteon workers to vote on new redundancy deal
Visteon car workers in west Belfast are to vote today on whether to accept a deal and end a bitter dispute over the collapse of the factory.
The Unite union said it had agreed improved redundancy terms with the company. The deal includes enhanced payments for redundancy, as well as compensation in lieu of notice and holiday pay.
Traffic wardens sacked over wildcat strike
Almost 30 traffic wardens in Belfast were sacked today after taking unofficial strike action earlier this month.
The wardens had taken the wildcat action at the start of April over pay and conditions, including their rotas and sick-pay. The wardens were initially suspended by bosses, but today were sacked. Those involved make up one-third of Belfast's traffic wardens.
Hundreds rally in support of Belfast Visteon workers
Hundreds marched to a rally at Belfast City Hall in solidarity with the workers occupying the Visteon factory in west Belfast.
On Friday, members of Organise!, the WSM, trade unions and several hundred others marched from Transport House in central Belfast, to City Hall to attend a rally in support of the sacked Visteon workers at their Finaghy plant in west Belfast.
Report from the Belfast Visteon occupation
Interesting article with background information about the occupation of the West Belfast Ford Visteon plant, and how Ford ran it down.
Post-Fordism in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Belfast: Hundreds rally in support of Visteon workers occupation
A report and audio recordings of the rally of hundreds of supporters of the Ford Visteon workers occupying their plant against their redundancies with no pay.
Over 200 people marched today from Andersonstown to the factory in Finachy for a rally, which was addressed by Unite Shop Stewards Charlie Maxwell and John Maxwell, including representatives from the SDLP and Sinn Fein.
Audio interview with Visteon occupier
Audio interview with Unite convenor at the occupied Visteon plant in Belfast, John McGuire.
Download the audio interview here: http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/apr2009/workers_occupation.mp3
Car factory occupations spread across the UK
Sacked workers from the car parts firm Visteon have been occupying three factories across the UK since Wednesday.
The action began with an overnight sit-in at the Visteon plant in Belfast and employees are continuing their protest at the factory. More than 100 workers have staged a sit-in, the Unite trade union has said. Earlier, it was announced that 565 staff would go at Visteon car components plants across the UK.
