The environment

In the run up to the “Climate Swoop” at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, due to take place on 17 October, Workers’ Climate Action supporters in Nottinghamshire have been writing and distributing a bulletin for Ratcliffe workers. The bulletin the purpose and perspective of the Swoop, and argues that there are links between exploitation of the planet and exploitation of workers by the power station’s owners, e.on. Despite e.on bosses pocketing massive salaries, workers at Ratcliffe have been offered a derisory 1% pay increase this year. The bulletin promises support and solidarity from the...

At the end of September, the Morning Star published a letter I wrote that reflected the different approaches taken by the SWP and the AWL to the Vestas dispute after the end of the occupation - AWL emphasised building the blockade of the factory, SWP, building the political campaign 'in the country'. Back the workers Sunday 27 September 2009 Readers will know by now that the Vestas company has removed most of the remaining blades from its Newport factory, using the might of the state to do it. Scores of police dismantled the marine gate blockade at 6am last Tuesday. Although we protested as...

On 20 September, two days before police finally broke the Newport factory blockade, some of the AWL activists who have been involved in the Vestas campaign talked over the experience. This is a longer version of this text than in the printed paper. Geographically, Britain is specially well placed to use wind energy as a renewable, zero-emissions alternative to fossil fuels. On 15 July, Energy and Climate Change minister Ed Miliband published a White Paper about renewable energy which called for 7000 more wind turbines to be built. Yet Britain's only wind-turbine blade factories are two, owned...

Following the breaking-up of the blade blockade at the marine gate of the Vestas wind turbine blade factory at Newport, Isle of Wight, workers are debating how to take forward their campaign for green jobs. At roughly 6.20 on the morning of Tuesday 22 September, a force of around 120 Hampshire police descended on the Isle of Wight and stormed the encampment which was being used by workers and supporters to block the movement of blades. The Isle of Wight council came out in support of the Vestas management despite face-saving noises of sympathy for the workers they had previously made: they...

Vestas bosses have finally moved some of the wind-turbine blades which have been trapped in its Newport (Isle of Wight) factory since workers occupied to stop the factory closure, between 20 July and 7 August. Police invaded the "camp" at the marine gate of the factory to clear the way. One barge-full of blades has been taken. Vestas bosses will presumably try to take the rest later today, or tomorrow. Ed Maltby reports from the Isle of Wight (22 September): Arriving from London at 4am on 22 September, I went to bed in one of the tents at the marine gate of the Newport factory. There were...

Today, 22 September, is the day when Vestas bosses will try to move blades from the Newport factory. Police forcibly cleared workers and supporters overnight from the camp at the marine gate. The barges to carry the blades are expected at noon. Join workers and supporters on the cycle path outside the marine gate to protest! Nine blades, worth about £700,000, have been stuck in the factory since Vestas workers occupied the factory, to stop closure and save the jobs, on 20 July. The occupiers were evicted on 7 August, but workers and supporters have been blockading the factory since then...

On 16 September Vestas bosses moved to attempt legal action against the blockade by workers and supporters at the "marine gate" of its wind-turbine blade factory at Newport, Isle of Wight. That indicates that the bosses are feeling the pressure. The "marine gate" is being blockaded to stop Vestas shipping out nine wind turbine blades, worth £700,000, that were left in the factory when workers occupied on 20 July to stop its closure. The occupiers, who demanded that Vestas hand over the factory for nationalisation to save the jobs, were evicted on 7 August, but workers and supporters have...

On 12 September, three Workers’ Liberty comrades who have been involved in Workers’ Climate Action attended the first half of the Socialist Resistance/Green Left “Climate and Capitalism” conference. (Socialist Resistance was previously the International Socialist Group, the British section of the Fourth International. Green Left is a caucus within the Green Party.) There were seventy or eighty people there, mostly in their 40s, 50s or older, though with a smattering of younger people. One session, in which Swedish Volvo worker and Fourth International supporter Lars Henriksson discussed the...

Petition to save the jobs at the Vestas wind turbine blade factories. Download pdf (see "attachment"). Or click here to sign online .