A PENSION row between Ford and former Visteon workers is "rapidly becoming one of the UK's most shameful pension scandals", according to an AM.
Around 45 members from the Swansea Visteon Pension Action Group (VPAG) travelled to London on Friday to support a body of MPs who met with Ford of Britain chairman Joe Greenwell.
The meeting was described as a "step forward", but AM for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins, said she does not see Ford backing down.
"I remain pessimistic that Ford will ever willingly admit its responsibility in a case that is rapidly becoming one of the UK's most shameful pension scandals," she said.
"Its directors told the union Unite in New York that it would not admit culpability, and I fully expect the company will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the forthcoming court case.
"Everybody but Ford can see its moral obligations in this matter.
"Everyone is asking themselves: 'What kind of callous company treats staff who have dedicated up to 40 years of their working lives to the business in this way?'
"I have no doubt that Ford's trip to Westminster is far less an effort to find a solution to the Visteon pensions scandal and more an attempt to shore up its rapidly deteriorating public image."
Miss Jenkins said that it had been a different situation in the US.
"Ford and Visteon have together settled pensions claims of US staff," she said.
"There is around a �350 million shortfall in the UK fund.
"To put that into perspective, that's around a third of the Q3 earnings recently announced by Ford.
"Ford should also consider that the loss of prestige it faces as a consequence of this shameful episode may end up being far more costly than meeting this particular shortfall."
In a previous statement, a Ford spokesman said the company had "met or exceeded its obligations under the 2000 agreement when Visteon became fully independent."
emma.denholm@swwmedia.co.uk
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