Vestas Demos 12 August and reports from Vestas

VESTAS: National Day of Action
Start: 12 Aug 2009, 6:30 pm
Where:
Nationwide/London - Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) , 3 Whitehall Place
VESTAS : National Day of Action, Wednesday 12th August
London Vestas Rally, 6.30 pm

Outside the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC ) 6.30 pm

On Friday the 7th August the bailiffs went in and the occupation of the Vestas wind turbine plant on the Isle of Wight ended.

In response to this a National Day of Action in support of the Vestas workers and to keep the factory open, for Green Jobs and a Green Energy Revolution, was declared. There will be actions all around the country organised by a diverse range of groups. See here or here (right hand column, scroll down to "Upcoming Solidarity Actions and Meetings") Or contact your local CCC group, or Union –

ANDY HEWETT writes

A national day of action has been called this Wednesday in support of the Vestas workers and the demand for green jobs. Events are being planned in communities, towns and workplaces up and down the couuntry, I forward details (below) of one I have heard about in Haringey, please circulate and also pass on details of any others you may know about - it is important that we build this campaign.

I was down on the island again on Saturday; Derek Wall, Kate Tansley and Arthur Hayles travelled down with me from the Greens, also accompanying us was Phil Thornhill from CACC.

A few hundred rallied in the centre of Newport, where amongst the many speakers were a number of the Vestas workers, RMT reps, the local Labour PPC, people form the local community (vital to build on the support they have given), Phil T and representatives from the SWP and Workers Climate Action. Kate said a few words on behalf of the London Greens. We met up with some of the IOW Green Party as we joined the march up to the factory carry the London Green Party banner and placards. We also met up with a Green who had travelled down from Worthing - a Unison member who was interested in our Trades Union Group.

In glorious sunshine (in contrast to the soaking we got outside DECC on Thursday) the march proceeded to enter the factory grounds despite the best efforts of the hired security. To our great surprise the police were very cooperative in letting us through, advising the security to stand down.
We gathered outside the main doors of the factory and chanted noisily, demanding that the director come out and speak to us, but of course there was no sight of him. The demo was in high spirits, and eventually the police allowed us to leave peacefully when the Vestas workers decided that we had made our point clear (they have been given the final say in decisions taken throughout the occupation and protest, contrary to some adverse propaganda put about by those who wish to undermine what they were fighting for).

I handed over a cheque to their campaign on behalf of GPTU from a collection we had made. I have also made contact with workers with a view to bringing them to speak at events in the near future.

But as the workers themselves have said, the fight is not yet over. Please do everything you can to keep up the pressure and support on Wednesday and over the coming weeks and months

Workers FOR the world unite!
Andy