Solidarity with other workers

From Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary

As you are probably aware the RMT, which has thousands of members in the offshore energy sector and is currently providing all possible support to the workers fighting for their jobs at the Vestas Wind Turbine Factory on the Isle of Wight.

RMT has secured two huge victories in one week in the battle to save the Vestas Wind Turbine Factory.

On Tuesday RMT barristers beat off a court attempt by the company to take action to end the occupation by the workers in the factory.

RAIL UNION RMT confirmed that today’s strike action on National Express East Anglia has been solidly supported across the franchise with the vast majority of services at a complete standstill and with managers running only a few token, ghost trains as a publicity stunt.

RMT members have shown their all-out determination to secure a fair deal on pay and working conditions from a company which has sucked in billions in public subsidies in the past ten years.

Offshore energy union RMT will this evening fly a plane with messages of support for the Vestas occupation over the factory as Bob Crow and other supporters of the fight for jobs and green energy mass outside the gates for a rally in solidarity with the Vestas workforce at 6pm.

RMT and other trade unionists today managed to get some supplies of food and drink into the occupation. RMT have been working on contingency plans to drop food in by helicopter if necessary to ensure that the Vestas workers are not starved into submission and have called upon the wider trade union movement to ensure that supplies are maintained.

TRANSPORT UNION RMT today pledged full support to the workers occupying the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight and confirmed that RMT general secretary Bob Crow will be making a solidarity visit to the occupation at 6pm tomorrow evening (Thursday 23rd July).

The Vestas factory is the only unit in England manufacturing wind turbines. The Dutch company which owns it are trying to close the factory down with the loss of 625 jobs blaming the British government’s lack of commitment to renewable energy. The company is reported to have made profits of $56 million in the> first quarter of this year alone – a rise of 70% on last year.

The factory has been under workers occupation since Tuesday. Communication lines into the factory have been cut and deliveries of food and water have been blockaded by private security guards. This morning, those involved in the occupation have been threatened with summary dismissal.

Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said today:
“Nothing underlines the attack on job and communities that has been unleashed in the UK by greedy bosses and incompetent politicians better than the occupation at Vestas.

Below is the message of support from RMT London Transport Regional Council to the 'Save Vestas' campaign. You can keep up-to-date with the campaign by clicking here.

I am writing to give my full support to the campaign to save the Vestas wind turbine plant on the Isle of Wight.

Prine Minister Gordon Brown has stated that we need 'green jobs' both to tackle the recession and to save the environment. If he does not act to save Vestas, his words will be shown to be meaningless and hypocritical. The government should bring Vestas into public ownership, and run it democratically in the interests of working-class people and the future of our world.

Press release...

John McDonnell MP, TUCG Convenor said:

"This dispute demonstrates the anger many workers feel when employers refuse to negotiate or seek arbitration"

"The Trade Union Coordinating Group calls upon the employers to enter into negotiations and calls upon the government to repeal the anti trade union laws which only serve to exacerbate the current poor industrial relations climate."

Bob Crow, General Secretary, RMT said:

Press release...

John McDonnell MP, TUCG Convenor said:

"This dispute demonstrates the anger many workers feel when employers refuse to negotiate or seek arbitration"

"The Trade Union Coordinating Group calls upon the employers to enter into negotiations and calls upon the government to repeal the anti trade union laws which only serve to exacerbate the current poor industrial relations climate."

Bob Crow, General Secretary, RMT said:

The General Secretary of TSSA, Gerry Doherty, has written to inform the RMT of impending strike action by TSSA members in the BTP First Contact Centre and Force Control Rooms scheduled for 18th and 19th April 2009. Needless to say RMT members will do all that we can, within the law, to support our brothers and sisters at TSSA.