Vesta Workers: Occupation Continues

Workers are
digging their heels in and continuing to occupy the Vestas site based in the
normally sedate Isle of Wight.

Vestas
Blades UK is set to be close its Newport site at the end of this month with the immediate loss of 600
jobs. Despite all the talk about renewable turbine energy from the government,
it seems incredible that the only wind turbine blade manufacturer in the
UK is set to shut up shop
and transfer its business to the US in the interests of profit.
Since the initial announcement of closure was made, workers have been wondering
why the government – who has just pledged £100bn towards renewable energy – has
taken no action to save the factory from shutting. The silence was deafening.

After several weeks of campaigning the Vesta workers decided
to take a leaf out of the Visteon workers book and 20 workers moved in to
occupy.

The following statement was issued at the start of this
week:

“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 accelerated and a team of workers have taken the plant at 7:45
this evening as a result.”

The workers demands are clear: If you want to create 400,000
green jobs how about starting with 600 on the Isle of
Wight? Vestas should be immediately nationalised to stop the
closure going ahead.

Clearly it looks like the police have been working with
Vestas management to try and force the workers out. The following press release
from the occupiers explains:

“Workers staging a sit-in at the soon-to-close Vestas wind turbine plant on
the Isle of Wight are being starved out by
police.
The police, many inside the factory and dressed in riot gear, have denied
food to the workers who took over the factory offices last night, to protest
about the closure of their factory. The police, operating with highly
questionable legal authority, have surrounded the offices, preventing
supporters from joining the sit-in, and preventing food from being brought to
the protestors.
Acting without an injunction, on private property, the police have
repeatedly tried to break into the office where the protesting workers have
barricaded themselves, and have threatened the workers with arrest for
aggravated trespass, despite the fact that no damage has been done to the
property where the protest is taking place. Police have also forcibly removed
people from private property, another action that is of very questionable
legality in the absence of a formal injunction.
The officer involved in the latter action was number 3606. The officer who
appears to be in charge is 3115. It may help to let the local police
authorities know that we are unhappy with their handling of the situation – in
this case the email address to bombard is professional.standards@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
This heavy handed response is the latest in a long line of over-reactions to
protest by various UK
police forces.” (21^st July)

Despite this the local labour and trade union movement has responded with a
marvelous display of solidarity. Food and supplies have been got into the
factory although security thugs hired by Vestas have put up fences and menaced
campaigners outside the site. A letter of support has now appeared in Today’s
Guardian newspaper signed by Bob Crow, John McDonnell MP and others.

This Friday, 24^th July, a mass demonstration will take place in
support of the struggle at St
Thomas Square in Newport at 5:30pm. Socialist Appeal
supporters in the region will be present and a report will be posted later.

Messages of support can be sent to: Ryde and East Wight Trades Union, 22 Church Lane,
Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2NB. Donations can also be sent
here – make the cheques payable to Ryde and East Wight Trades Union and mark it
as a donation to the Vestas workers.