Vestas Update: Protests spread

Workers, trade unionists and climate change activists have occupied a second Vestas plant at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

 

The four men and one woman have hung banners reading: "In solidarity with the Vestas workers" and "Fight for green jobs".

 

The eleven workers at Vestas’ wind-turbine production facility, who have now been in occupation for two weeks, are said to have been boosted by news of the second occupation.

 

Vestas’ management will today seek to evict the eleven workers again in the Crown Court, but will now have to contend with fighting on two fronts. The workers will be represented in court by the RMT, who deserve a tremendous amount of credit for the leadership and support they have demonstrated during this struggle.

 

Ian Perry, one of the eleven, said: "It's good to know that others are willing to stand up and fight for green jobs."

 

The Cowes factory was occupied at 4am by members of the RMT and by a Climate Camp group.

 

One of the group said: "We are staying here until everyone is reinstated and the closure decision is reversed."

 

Another of the group, Martin Shaw, told BBC News: "We are here to highlight government hypocrisy whereby they talk about a green future but are prepared to spend billions and billions of taxpayers' money on baling out the banks.

 

"They acknowledge climate change and yet the only [wind turbine] factory in the whole of Britain is being closed.

 

"We are staying here until the workers are re-instated, particularly the ones at the factory who are fighting for the right to work and support their families."

 

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said of the workers occupation, and of management’s attempts to starve the workers out:

 

"RMT remains deeply concerned as to the well being of those in occupation and we will be taking further legal and health advice today.

 

"This brave group of workers continue to be denied access to their basic human rights to nutritional food and liquids and we are making every effort to get supplies through.

 

"It's a disgrace that Vestas and their private security company are still playing cat and mouse over food supplies into the factory. This brave bunch, who are fighting for their livelihoods and for the future of turbine manufacture in England, are being treated far worse than the prisoners just up the road at Parkhurst who are legally entitled to three square meals a day.

 

"We welcome the support of the TUC today for this campaign to save 625 green manufacturing jobs and the future of wind turbine production in England.

 

"2700 turbines will be needed by 2012 on current projections and reports of the Centrica plans off Skegness will only increase the opportunities.

 

"RMT are calling for an urgent government intervention to save the plant and to show the country that they are walking the talk when it comes to green jobs and renewable energy.

 

"A deal to rescue the Kintyre turbine factory was done with the support of the Scottish Parliament earlier this year when Vestas pulled the plug – the same could be done again."

 

In response, a spokesman for Vestas callously replied: "The people inside are free to leave if they don't like what is on the menu."

 

You can watch a video below of Bob Crow speaking outside the factory gates last week, following the adjournment of the initial court appearance.

We should know within the next few hours whether the forces of the state will come down behind management and sanction the eviction of the eleven brave workers, or whether the concerted campaign by the workers, the RMT, and a red/green alliance of socialists and environmentalists, will again be successful in fighting for a further adjournment as they seek to defend green jobs.

 

Yesterday, a number of climate change activists were arrested outside the Department of Energy and Climate Change after super-gluing themselves together in solidarity with the workers.

 

The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, also called on Vestas to re-instate the eleven sacked workers and reverse their decision on the closure of the UK’s only wind turbine manufacturer, although he did also farcically claim that the Climate Change secretary Ed Miliband “has proved himself to be a champion of the green agenda and the drive to create new jobs”!

 

Despite Mr barber’s sycophancy, this nonetheless demonstrates the continued support and solidarity with the workers of the Isle of Wight as they bravely struggle on.

 

A luta continua!

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