And information and advice sheet about visiting and how to support the picket of Enfield Ford Visteon workers.
Visteon workers in Enfield are picketing their factory around the clock to prevent the removal of machinery from the plant. They need support – donations, messages, solidarity actions, and your physical presence on occasions!
This leaflet by the Ford Visteon Workers Support Group (www.visteonoccupation.org) gives advice on visiting the factory: getting there, what to take, and what to do when you’re there.
Getting there
Address: Morson Road, off Meridian Way (A1055), near Ponders End, London EN3 4NQ.
Map: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=536327&y=195126&z=0&sv=EN3+4NQ&st=2&pc=EN3+4NQ&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf
Parking: the plant is on an industrial estate; you can park close to the plant on Morson Road.
By train: National Express East Anglia trains from Liverpool Street stop at Ponders End. The plant is 5 minutes walk from the train station, eastwards across the footbridge, southwards down Meridian Way and turn left into Morson Road. Timetables here: http://www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com/train_times/current_timetables/(station)/PON
You can pick up the train at Tottenham Hale tube station on the Victoria Line; Ponders End is the first stop, four minutes from Tottenham Hale.
Buses:
Buses from Ponders End station http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/pondersendstation-12126.pdf
Buses from Ponders End http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/pondersendandsouthburystation-2232.pdf
Night bus:
Night bus N279 runs from Trafalgar Square to Waltham Cross and back 3 times an hour on Sunday–Thursday nights inclusive, and 5 times an hour on Friday and Saturday nights. It runs up and down Hertford Road at the bottom end of South Street (the road from the station on the opposite side of the railway line from Visteon). Allow 15–20 minutes to walk from the factory.
Buses towards Trafalgar Square, via Tottenham, Finsbury Park, Holloway and Camden Town stop at approx 0140, 0200, 0220, 0240, etc. Links with N41 at Tottenham, and N91 at Holloway Road.
Buses to Waltham Cross arrive at Hertford Road/South Street approx 0129, 0149, 0209, etc.
What to take
Anything you think you might need for yourself and anything you think you can donate to the pickets.
If you are staying for any length of time, a tent, sleeping bag (there is room nearby to camp); warm clothes, especially if visiting at night; washing materials – there is no running water on site; food, drink (not too much alcohol – arguably none); radios, musical instruments, etc.
You can probably get a hot drink at the caravan but shouldn’t count on it.
There is no internet access onsite; the workers have a laptop with some access but that is for their own use.
If you are driving and can take some wood for the fire that is always welcome.
What to do when you’re there
Introduce yourself to anyone you meet on the gates, then report to the caravan at the side of the plant where the picket coordination is done. They will tell you if they want you to go to any specific gate.
The workers do four-hour picketing shifts. For obvious reasons, it is harder to maintain the pickets at night. If you can commit to a four-hour shift one night, you can sign up here:
http://doodle.com/7tgwd2akiyeas8id
Most of the time there will be a worker on each gate: they have walky talkies to communicate with each other. If there are any particular security concerns, you will probably be told when you arrive, but if you are unsure about anything ask as many questions as you need to.
Obviously you are there to support the workers, so respect their wishes. If they want you to do something, or stop doing anything, please respect that.
Think about health and safety: you are visiting a factory on an industrial estate. There are other factories nearby and large lorries and fast-moving cars use the roads all the time. The pickets use open fires to keep warm. There are portaloos on site but they are not always nice to use: visit the toilet before you get there – there is no loo at Ponders End but there is one at Tottenham Hale.
Apart from those cautions, enjoy your visit, be as useful as you can, get to know the workers, and tell other people about your experience so that they will want to go as well.
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