Vestas workers vow: this fight is not over

As workers prepared for the arrival of bailiffs, they urged the British people to stage a day of action this weekend and pledged to continue their campaign even if they were forcibly evicted.

"We are just waiting now to see what happens," said one of the activists from a factory balcony.

"But we will not stop our protest, we will merely move down the road until we get results."

Not far from the factory on a mini roundabout, green campaigners have established a climate camp, with colourful banners hung from nearby walls - including one condemning "Mandelson's green failure."

The group of 11 workers have barricaded themselves into the Newport factory since July 20.

So far, the occupation has prevented its closure - which was meant to take place last Friday - but Vestas bosses successfully applied for a possession order at Newport County Court yesterday morning.

Judge Graham White said he was satisfied that legal papers had been served on the occupying workers, as scores of RMT union members and green activists gathered outside in solidarity and jeered him for siding with the employers.

Many of them then marched to the Newport factory in a show of solidarity with the workers. Protesters gathered outside the plant and chanted: "We will fight back."

One of the occupying workers addressed them from a balcony, praising their solidarity and calling for a national day of action on Saturday and again next Wednesday.

"We are asking people to down tools or hold a rally to support us. We want the protest to continue but we also want it to remain peaceful," he said.

"We believe this place has a future and we shall not give up on that."

RMT general secretary Bob Crow was in court for the hearing and pledged his union's ongoing support for the workers.

He also slammed new Labour's hypocrisy.

"Although the company has won a technical legal victory, the workers have won a moral and industrial victory through their sheer determination to save 625 jobs in green manufacturing," he said.

"It is an absolute disgrace that, while the government preaches about greening the environment and creating jobs, not a single representative from Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband downwards have had the common courtesy to meet with workers involved in this important fight.

"Regardless of the court action today, the workers will continue to receive the full support of the RMT," Mr Crow insisted.

Earlier in the day, worker and climate camp activists occupied the roof of a nearby Vestas factory in Cowes and unveiled banners attacking ministers and bosses in a fresh show of solidarity with the Newport protesters.

They also hung a banner above the island's ferry port saying: "Vestas Workers - Solidarity in Occupation. Save Green Jobs."

Cowes worker Sean McDonagh told reporters that there was little chance of finding another skilled job on the island if the wind turbine business shut down.

He revealed that there were just 145 job vacancies on the Isle of Wight at the moment, with 60 people chasing each and every last one.

Mr McDonagh went on to accuse ministers of "lying" about creating green jobs, slating the Brown government as "a complete sham."

The Newport occupiers said that they were now waiting for bailiffs to arrive but there was no information about when any move might be made to end the sit-in.

For its part, the company claimed that it was in no hurry to end the occupation.

"We remain patiently optimistic, hoping for a peaceful solution in the interests of all parties, particularly the people inside," a spokesman asserted.