Report from Vestas: Save or Planet! Save our Jobs!

Yesterday evening (Friday) a lively march took place from the centre of Newport to the Vestas plant in the industrial estate on the outskirts of the town. What had been about 100 people in the town’s central square had grown to more than 300 by the time the march arrived at the security fences the company has erected to prevent supporters getting food to the occupying workers. The march mainly consisted of Vesta workers, their families and local people and was led by kids chanting Save or Planet Save our Jobs. A simple message – but one that Ed Miliband seems incapable of understanding with his spurious insistence that the factory is producing the wrong kind of wind turbine for use in Britain. Clearly the workers themselves have the skills to adapt production for the British market and this reinforces the demand for nationalisation of the factory under workers’ control of production.

The marchers and the pickets and the climate change campaigners, who have set up a camp outside the factory, were addressed by one of the Vesta workers. He stated that the company’s initial plan of starving the workers into submission had been changed in so far as they were now supplying food to the occupying workers. This consists of a diet of fish paste sandwiches and fizzy drinks. Much to the delight of the workers occupying the plant this resulted in the chant of the day from the demonstrators of ‘One Hot Meal’.

A number of unions are supporting the non-unionised workers – in particular the RMT. Bob Crow addressed a demonstration outside the plant on the Thursday evening and the RMT is providing legal advice for the workers who are being taken to court on Wednesday morning. As well as solidarity activities this weekend this is the next big event locally as there will a big show of support outside the court in Newport on Wednesday.

Roger Welch, University of Portsmouth UCU Branch (in a personal capacity)