“I’m not making any promises that we’ll succeed..”
The International Representative for west Belfast, Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams, MP, MLA, is complaining of “almost a degree of chicanery” by Ford, the Visteon factory’s former owner [sold in 2000] and “sole customer”, and is urging the now former employees at the Visteon factory in west Belfast to “stay cohesive in terms of [their] demands.” You can watch Jamie Delargy’s report here. But in the BBC’s online report one of those former employees reveals that they were offered voluntary redundancy terms at Christmas worth “in excess of £40,000″. Having not taken that deal, they’re apparently just entitled to basic redundancy terms worth £10,500. In the same report Gerry Adams tells the former employees, “We will do our best. I’m not making any promises that we’ll succeed, but we will do our best to ensure that Ford do the decent thing, the just thing, the right thing.” But then, “there’s only so much you can do, isn’t there?” Adds Northern Ireland Employment Minister, Reg Empey, “Whilst it is not in my gift to create jobs, I am committed to supporting the individual employees who have been made redundant.” Update Second Jamie Delargy report for UTV Live. As I understand it, with their former employer, Visteon UK Ltd, no longer trading, the only redundancy package available is provided by the Government NI administration.
Does Mr.Adams really not understand what’s going on in the real world or is he just full of bluster?
Has he spoken to President Obama yet about this peculiar N.I. situation?
Pete,
Any idea why the
command no longer works?[i]“There is almost a degree of chicanery involved here, of snatch-and-grab, where they come in, where they give people minimal redundancies as opposed to your full entitlement and terms and conditions.”
He said he had been in contact with New York comptroller Bill Thompson, who has pension funds invested in Ford, about the matter. – Irish Times, quoting Gerry Adams[/i]
As if Bill Thompson will do anything other than shake his head in disbelief at some loon from NI who wants him to assist in extorting money from an American company that is operating in full compliance with UK law under threat of being improperly blackballed by the Comptroller at the behest of a thug in a suit if they don’t comply with Adams’s demand. Amazing.
Joe, replace the word strike with del.
strikeThanks, Dave.
Pete, please remove query comments. Ta, Joe
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the “real world”….
With the pleasure comes the pain…
Yes indeed, Raven.
Between them, the Robinsons grossed over 1/2 a million. That is gross by anyone’s calculation.
Hmmm. It’s too easy to point point the futility here though it’s really not far off what many MPs would come out with.
I am wondering though if it is smart politics. The political pressure will likely extend beyond SF; but by being vocal they can claim credit if any positive moves are made. If not, well, there isn’t a lot they can do, is there?