Visteon Pension Deal Agreed

Unite has said it has reached an agreement with a now-closed factory in West Belfast over pension payments for former staff.

The Visteon factory closed five years ago and at the time, the decision led to a number of protests by former workers.

More than 200 jobs were lost when the car parts plant closed in 2009, with workers having only been given an hour's notice of the closure. A sit-in protest was staged at the facility over a pension agreement.

It has been claimed that, when Visteon took over the factory from Ford in 2000, the company promised to equal the compensation promised to them under their previous workers in the event of redundancy.

Now, Unite says it has reached an agreement with Ford, which includes staff from factories in Basildon, Essex, Enfield, north London and Swansea, as well as the Belfast site.

In a statement, the union said: "Unite has concluded an agreement with Ford to make a settlement offer to eligible ex-Visteon employees who filed legal claims in connection with reductions in their pensions resulting from Visteon UK being put into administration in 2009.

"The settlement would avoid further expense for participants in the case and will settle the legal claims that these individuals have made against Ford.

"Unite and Ford have been involved in lengthy but constructive discussions to reach a position where a settlement has been offered. Details of the settlement are confidential and a private matter for those directly involved."

SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell welcomed the news, saying: "This great news is a testament to the dogged determination of the workers who were made redundant back in 2009.

"Their relentless campaign for compensation following a devaluation of up to 40% of some worker pensions has now ended in success and I want to congratulate them on that."

(JP)