Support for Vestas staff rises

Hampshire police said two men were arrested close to the Vestas Wind Systems site on Tuesday night following three arrests earlier that day.

The latest arrests were of a 41-year-old man on suspicion of criminal damage and a 23-year-old man on suspicion of a public order offence.

The sit-in is part of a bid to save the factory from closure next week with the loss of over 600 jobs.

The Danish owners of the factory have erected a fence around the site in response to a growing protest by environmental and climate change demonstrators.

Workers said the fence had been built to stop food or drink being sent in, leading to complaints that the company's action was illegal.

"It's appalling," said one of the workers. "We are convinced this is against the Human Rights Act because we are being denied humanitarian aid.

"But the more the management try to flush us out, the more determined we are to dig in our heels."

The occupiers were backed by Labour MP John McDonnell, convener of the Trade Union Co-ordinating Group. "These workers are at the forefront of the struggle to save their jobs and our planet," he said.

"The TUCG stands shoulder-to-shoulder with this occupation and calls for full support and solidarity with this vitally important campaign."

The TUCG comprises eight unions - the RMT, PCS, BFAWU, FBU, NAPO, NUJ, POA and URTU.

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, who was scheduled to visit the site last night, said: "We know from this company is aggressively anti-union and the TUCG salutes the courage of those who have taken the brave decision to occupy the factory. They deserve the full support of the whole trade union movement."

PCS assistant general secretary Chris Baugh called on the government to intervene "to save the plant in the interests of the Vestas workers, the regional economy on the Isle of Wight and the future of the renewables industry in the UK."

paddym@peoples-press.com