Vestas workers occupy - solidarity needed!

Submitted by AWL on 20 July, 2009 - 10:46 Author: Vicki Morris and Ed Maltby

Tuesday 21 July
Vestas workers speak out

"As workers at a wind turbine manufacturer, we were confident that as the recession took hold that green or renewable energy would be the area where many jobs could be created - not lost.

So we were horrified to find out that our jobs were moving abroad and that more than 525 jobs from the Isle of Wight and Southampton were going to be added to the already poor state of island unemployment.

This has sent, and will continue to send, shockwaves of uncertainty through countless families on the island - many of which are being forced to relocate away from the island.

We find this hard to stomach as the government are getting away with claiming they are investing heavily in these types of industry.

Only last week they said they would create 400,000 green jobs. How can the process start with 600 of us losing our jobs?

Now I'm not sure about you but we think it's about time that if the government can spend billions bailing out the banks - and even nationalise them - then surely they can do the same at Vestas.

The people of Vestas matter, and the people of the island matter, but equally importantly the people of this planet matter. We will not be brushed under the carpet by a government which is claiming to help us.

We have occupied our factory and call on the government to step in and nationalise it. We and many others believe it is essential that we continue to keep our factory open for our families and livelihoods, but also for the future of the planet.

We call on Ed Miliband as the relevant minister to come to the island and tell us to our face why it makes sense for the government to launch a campaign to expand green energy at the same moment at the country's only major wind turbine producer closes.

Please show your support.

Protest at Newport Vestas at 5pm today (off Dondor Lane - Monks Brook Newport, Isle Of Wight, PO30 5WZ)

Demonstrate Friday 24th of July Friday 5.30pm St. Thomas square Newport"

Monday 20 July

Vestas workers have occupied the St Cross factory in Newport. This measure has been taken due to the consistent failure of Vestas Blades and the government to face up to their responsibilities in the necessary challenge of fighting climate change and maintaining jobs.

Due to management attempting to intimidate the workers who have been organising themselves in preparation for a fight, plans to move on the factory were accellerated and a team of workers have taken the plant at 7.45 this evening as a result.

Now more than ever Vestas workers need our support. The island does not have a history of workers taking control – this could be the first of many victories where workers take control of their industries and demand that society puts people before profit, the environment before opportunism.

Messages of solidarity to savevestas@googlemail.com or 07775 763 750
For more see savevestas.wordpress.com

***

Background

Most of the residents of the Isle of Wight are supporting the campaign by a number of Vestas workers, the island's trades councils and the Workers' Climate Action group to keep two wind turbine blade factories open.

The factories are owned by Vestas Blades UK, part of a multinational company. Vestas is highly profitable but the company doesn't want to invest in machinery to upgrade the factories, and they can make bigger profits elsewhere, so they are bailing out of the UK - and their home country Denmark where more than a thousand jobs have gone already.

The campaigners on the Isle of Wight are calling on the government to intervene - to nationalise if necessary - to save the 600 jobs at Vestas, Isle of Wight and the further jobs on the island that will be lost if Vestas closes. For an investment of £51 million they could have state-of-the-art factories producing wind turbine blades for this massive expansion of wind energy they have been talking about.

The South East England Development Agency has acquired land on the island to build sustainable industries - they could step in to invest in Vestas.

***

More on how to help

- Visit the campaign blog (sometimes down due to heavy demand) - savevestas.wordpress.com.
- Send messages of support from yourself or your organisation to savevestas@googlemail.com.
- Send a donation from your trade-union or other organisation, or make a personal donation: cheques payable to Ryde and East Wight Trades Union Council, 22 Church Lane, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2NB
- Petition energy minister Ed Miliband. His e-address is ps.ed.miliband@decc.gsi.gov.uk. His phone number in his Doncaster constituency is 01302 875 462, and at Westminster, 020 7219 4778. Flood him with calls for the Government to take over the Vestas factory and keep it producing, under new management.
- Organise a visible demonstration of solidarity. Take a photo with a placard that reads 'Save Vestas' and email the photo to savevestas@gmail.com.

***

London demonstration called by Campaign Against Climate Change

Wednesday 22nd July , 6.00 pm, Outside the Department of Energy and Climate Change, No 3 Whitehall Place
(off Whitehall, Charing Cross tube)

Families and communities campaign meeting

Wednesday 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm at the Methodist Church Hall, Quay Street, Newport. We are setting up a campaign for Vestas workers’ families and Isle of Wight residents to show their support for keeping jobs at Vestas. The families and communities campaign will be very important in keeping spirits up through this stressful time. For more details call 07775 763750.

Isle of Wight demonstration

Come to St Thomas Square in Newport at 5:30pm on Friday 24th July where we will be making a very public display of how we feel about the Vestas closures! Come to the Isle of Wight to support the struggle! Ring 07775763750 for more information.

Comments

Submitted by vickim on Wed, 22/07/2009 - 00:46

Interview with a worker occupying the Vestas Blades UK plant at Newport, Isle of Wight. [transcribed from audio interview conducted by Steven Morris of the Guardian newspaper, Tuesday 21 July http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/audio/2009/jul/21/wind-turbines-p…]
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We feel that we’ve been treated unjustly by being made redundant from a company which is only out to make profit, not to uphold the values which they seem to be proposing with green energy and that the government hasn’t supported us in our fight in regards to them promising more green jobs and more green energy. We are the UK’s only wind turbine manufacturer and we thought they would have jumped at the chance to show the world, show the country that they are on board with all the green that they have promised. So we’ve staged a peaceful protest just to outline that we are unhappy with the way that we are being treated and we want better.

What do you want the government to do?

We don’t want them to bail out another private company. I think the whole country is fed-up with that. We want them to step in and either arrange a buyout or nationalise us.

Are you hopeful that might happen?

Well, if they keep up with their promises and we can get a good negotiation going, I can’t see why they wouldn’t want to keep green energy, to show the world that they do care, to show that they are sticking to their policies for once by keeping a green factory, with 600 already established green jobs.

It sounds to me like it’s not just about your jobs, it’s about a wider issue really.

Yeah, we’re fighting for our jobs, for the economy of the Isle of Wight. To take 600 jobs from this place would be absolutely devastating. The economy is fragile as it is, based on a seasonal tourist trade. If you take one of the most major employers on the island away it will have a devastating knock-on effect. Companies are already quaking with the thought of redundancies or closure. If we do shut it will be a dark day.

You’ve had quite some support from people outside the factory by the sound of it.

Yeah, we’ve had support from individual organisations, from trade unions, from other factories, and, of course, from the general public, who seem to be rallying to save the workers, save the environment and save the country, by the looks of it.

So where exactly are you within the factory?

We’ve taken the upper floor, which is the management office floor, the hub essentially where all the planning gets done. We’ve taken the most visual part. We are currently camped in the upper floor. We’ve been fed, morale is quite high especially with all the support that we’ve got going on outside.

How did you get in?

We were lucky, there was an open door, we took our opportunity. We went in, there was no resistance, there was no staff in. So we just filtered in, locked the door and took it from there, one step at a time.

You’ve got supplies, food and so on?

Yes, currently we do, however, external supplies coming in have been stopped by the management, in a futile attempt to starve us out.

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