On Wednesday 1st April, workers at a car parts factory occupied the building.  The day before, they had been given six minutes notice of leave, with not a penny in redundancy pay and not a pension on the horizon.  Some of the workers had served Ford for over 30 years, but now that US giant Visteon had taken over the plant, and despite assurances from their previous employers that the terms and conditions of their original contracts would be carried forward, these workers were being laid off in the most brutal of circumstances.

Their story is only too familiar for ordinary people across the country as the recession takes a hold, with this event being accompanied by similar occupations in Basildon and Belfast.  Due to the unregulated free market big businesses are being allowed to run riot, whilst the government provides little support for the workers, who end up taking the financial brunt of the economic crisis.  Many families in Enfield, with young families and mortgages to pay, have lost their main income overnight.

In the case of Enfield, a court injunction had been passed stating that the workers would have to leave the factory by midday on Thursday 9th April.  So, we decided to hold a rally in support of the occupation at 11am.

After a long, cold night sleeping in Parliament Square with the Tamils' ongoing protest there (reports to come) I made the journey across the capital to support an occupation of a very different cause and nature, but in the face of an enemy just as nasty, and with consequences just as tragic.  Personally, I refuse to sit at home whilst lives are being ruined, whether it be in Tamil Eelam or North London.

When we arrived at Ponders' End train station a Socialist Workers' Party stall was being erected on the concourse, which a station official ordered to be moved.  We advised them to move it to right in the middle of the overpass bridge, so that not only the station officials but every resident of Enfield would see it.  The mood was defiant, rumour was that although they were still demands for the workers to leave by 12pm, they had a "Plan B" up their sleeves.

A small crowd of people had gathered outside the factory, holding up banners of support to the workers sitting on the roof of the massive complex.  It was no G-20 Meltdown Army, but it was a strong show of solidarity all the same.  However, news quickly filtered through that the occupiers had agreed to leave peacefully at midday, partly due to fear of arrest and partly due to pressure to do so from the heads at the Unite trade union representing them.  Apparently re-negotiations would take place on the following Tuesday, but it was clear that nothing concrete had been gained so far.

I strongly felt that they should defy the injunction, but as one Socialist Worker seller pointed out, the situation was not so simple

"Ford know that we are at the beginning of a recession, so if they set a precedent by bowing to the demands of the workers here, they know it will hurt them..."

Once again, it seemed to be a case of the might of capitalism crushing the resistance of the working class.  Nevertheless, the occupiers left the factory to a heroes a reception, and they believed this analysis to be far from the truth:

"This is not the end of the fight, this is only the beginning!"

I hope they are proved correct.


Photos: IndyMedia