From Becky Crocker, Regional Young Members' officer

Dear London Transport region

On Monday 3rd August, I visited the Vestas factory on the Isle of Wight, which its workers have occupied to stop its closure and save their 600 jobs.

Vestas is the only factory in Britain making blades for wind turbines.

Wind power is part of the government’s strategy for switching to 15% renewable energy by 2020. But the private company Vestas have calculated they can make more money by moving their factory elsewhere: profit comes first and jobs and the environment second.

So the workers are calling on the government to nationalise Vestas: take it into public ownership to guarantee their jobs and commit to the environment.

Many inside the factory are young workers, and many supporters on the island are young people concerned about their futures if a major employer is allowed to close.

The Workers Climate Action campaign, who want to build a working class response to climate change, have been involved from the first announcement of the factory’s closure. Campaigners encouraged Vestas workers to fight - for their own jobs and the environment.

Bob Sutton from Workers Climate Action spoke at RMT Young Members' Conference about how we can fight for our own industry, public transport, as part of the fight against climate change. Here is another campaign where workers in environmentally sustainable jobs are being forced to sacrifice themselves and the planet for the wider goal of profit: we should do everything we can in support.

Right now, the workers are in imminent threat of eviction.

What we can do:

• Go there! Join a delegation to Vestas to fight the eviction. E-mail me for information about travelling to the Isle of Wight.
• Join the national day of action on Saturday
• Protest outside Joan Ruddock's office this Friday
• Send a donation to the fighting fund from your branch.

Many thanks

Becky Crocker
Regional Young Members' Officer