"SAVE JOBS and save the planet!" That's the rallying cry from workers at Newport on the Isle of Wight who have occupied a wind turbine factory threatened with closure at the end of this month, with the loss of 600 jobs.
Workers at the Vestas plant made their courageous move on Monday and are calling for urgent solidarity from all across the South Coast region and beyond.
As well as the need for ongoing support, demonstrations have been called for London on Wednesday and the Isle of Wight on Friday evening.
Said a spokesman: "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. If you are not working, come now, by car, bus or train. If you are on the South Coast and working, come for the night and go to work exhausted and proud. "If you can’t come, call up friends and offer to pay the fare or petrol money for someone else to come down. Or part of the fare.
"Don’t just call the environmental and union activists you know. Call your friends and ask them who they know. Call your brother’s friends or your children’s friends. Text everyone. Get your friends calling and texting."
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 say they care about climate change. He has 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.
Their brave fight in is an example of what workers can do when they get together and take militant action to save jobs and sustainable industries.
Said the spokesman: "We call upon everyone around the country to send whatever support they can to the workers at Vestas. We all have an interest in a sustainable future, and we all have a responsibility to aid the workers in occupation.
"Send a message of solidarity, send money to the Vestas workers’ fighting fund, and bombard the energy minister Ed Miliband with emails and phone calls (details below), calling for the government to save the factory and run it under new management."
DEMONSTRATION to save Vestas called by Campaign Against Climate Change Wednesday 22nd July , 6.00 pm. Outside the Department of Energy and Climate Change, No 3 Whitehall Place (off Whitehall, Charing Cross tube) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=99987963950
MEETING Wednesday 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm at the Methodist Church Hall, Quay Street, Newport. We are setting up a campaign for Vestas workers’ families and Isle of Wight residents to show their support for keeping jobs at Vestas. The families and communities campaign will be very important in keeping spirits up through this stressful time. For more details call 07775 763750.
PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION Come to St Thomas Square in Newport at 5:30pm on Friday 24th July where we will be making a very public display of how we feel about the Vestas closures!
Other things you can do:
Send messages of support to: Savevestas@googlemail.com
Donate to the Vestas Fighting Fund: Cheques Payable to ‘Ryde and East Wight Trades Union’ Send Cheques to: 22 Church Lane Ryde Isle of Wight PO33 2NB
Bombard Ed Miliband with messages, ask the government to step in and save the factory: Doncaster constituency office tel. 01302 875 462 Westminster office tel. 020 7219 4778. Email: ps.ed.miliband@decc.gsi.gov.uk
Phone interview from Ventnorblog http://ventnorblog.com/vestas-staff-occupy-newport-offices-breaking-news/
e-mail: savevestas@googlemail.com Homepage: http://savevestas.wordpress.com
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