Support Vestas occupation’s campaign for green jobs

On Monday evening workers at the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight  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 took the plant at 7:45 that 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 the bosses put people before profit, the environment before opportunism.

Around 30 trade unionist and climate change activists left that evening from Portsmouth, where a solidarity meeting was being held, to join the solidarity picket at the factory in Newport. The occupation is fragile and needs a practical show of support. If anyone is willing and able to do so, we urge them to go to visit the picket with food, money etc.

They are fighting for 600 jobs and the future of the planet. They need help now. You can help support them by :

TEXTING AND CALLING EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

There is a large picket of support starting outside the factory. This will be crucial in giving people confidence inside. We want hundreds of people by morning.

• If you are not working, can you come now, by car, bus or train ?
• If you are on the South Coast and working, you could come for the night (go to work exhausted and proud!).
• If you can’t come, can you call up friends and offer to pay the fare or petrol money for someone else to come down? Or part of the fare?

WE WANT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE NOW: SAVE THE PLANET – GREEN JOBS NOW

The workers want Gordon Brown to step in as if it was a troubled bank and save the jobs and keep making wind turbine blades. They gave the bankers trillions. They have talked about creating 40,000 “Green Jobs” – the first step should be protecting these 600.

The workers will need solidarity – donations of money, food and other assistance. In the first instance please send messages of solidarity to savevestas@gmail.com

* Check out http://savevestas.wordpress.com. Use the petition and leaflet available there for local campaigning.
* Send messages of support from your organisation, or yourself personally, to savevestas@gmail.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
* Organise a visible demonstration of solidarity. Take a photo with a placard that reads “Save Vestas” and email the photo to savevestas@gmail.com.
* Flood Energy minister Ed Miliband with emails and phone calls. His e-address is milibande@parliament.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 workers’ management.

This is much bigger than just Vestas and 600 jobs – this is about showing the government we are not going to let them get away with ‘green jobs’ rhetoric and no action.

But help is urgently needed right now or this opportunity could be lost. So please do what you can – to come or spread the word.

This article is a composite of reports from the Campaign against Climate Change, Tim Dawes and anonymous authors.