The environment

OFFSHORE ENERGY UNION RMT today called for full support for a day of action in support of the Vestas wind turbines factory campaign which will be marked by events up and down the country tomorrow (Wednesday August 12).

RMT, which represents a substantial block of the Vestas workforce, is continuing to support the fight to get the Isle of Wight factory back into production and is sending out a clear signal that the campaign for wind turbine manufacture in England is far from over.

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.

OFFSHORE ENERGY UNION RMT today accused the owners of the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight of “kicking the legs” from under a rescue package that could have saved it from closure.

RMT officials Bob Crow and John Leach, along with representatives of the Vestas workforce, met with energy minister Joan Ruddock yesterday to discuss the future of the factory.

During the meeting it emerged that the government had offered a series of rescue options to the company but each one had been rejected.

BUS TO VESTAS: FRIDAY EVENING: STOP THE EVICTION

From Workers' Climate Action

Everyone down at Vestas is still standing strong in the face of the possession order. A bus of about 20 Londoners went down on Tuesday evening, but everyone is getting pretty tired and another boost is needed!

A minibus (or two!) will be leaving London on Friday evening from Clapham at 6pm heading for Vestas. The bus will return on Sunday. It will cost between £10-£15 a head (or a bit more if you can afford to subsidise others) and will deliver a boost in numbers and energy to the fight to save jobs and save the planet!

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has sent the following letter to Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change ...

Dear Ed

Vestas Wind Systems

As you are aware, the TUC shares your absolute commitment to tackle climate change, including through the development of a low carbon industrial strategy with quality green jobs and skills at its heart.

From Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary

As you are probably aware the RMT, which has thousands of members in the offshore energy sector and is currently providing all possible support to the workers fighting for their jobs at the Vestas Wind Turbine Factory on the Isle of Wight.

RMT has secured two huge victories in one week in the battle to save the Vestas Wind Turbine Factory.

On Tuesday RMT barristers beat off a court attempt by the company to take action to end the occupation by the workers in the factory.

TRANSPORT UNION RMT today pledged full support to the workers occupying the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight and confirmed that RMT general secretary Bob Crow will be making a solidarity visit to the occupation at 6pm tomorrow evening (Thursday 23rd July).

The Vestas factory is the only unit in England manufacturing wind turbines. The Dutch company which owns it are trying to close the factory down with the loss of 625 jobs blaming the British government’s lack of commitment to renewable energy. The company is reported to have made profits of $56 million in the> first quarter of this year alone – a rise of 70% on last year.

The factory has been under workers occupation since Tuesday. Communication lines into the factory have been cut and deliveries of food and water have been blockaded by private security guards. This morning, those involved in the occupation have been threatened with summary dismissal.

Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said today:
“Nothing underlines the attack on job and communities that has been unleashed in the UK by greedy bosses and incompetent politicians better than the occupation at Vestas.

Below is the message of support from RMT London Transport Regional Council to the 'Save Vestas' campaign. You can keep up-to-date with the campaign by clicking here.

I am writing to give my full support to the campaign to save the Vestas wind turbine plant on the Isle of Wight.

Prine Minister Gordon Brown has stated that we need 'green jobs' both to tackle the recession and to save the environment. If he does not act to save Vestas, his words will be shown to be meaningless and hypocritical. The government should bring Vestas into public ownership, and run it democratically in the interests of working-class people and the future of our world.