Author: Simon Perry
Vestas Sit-in: Threats of Arrest and Redundacy Loss Announced (video)
5:28 pm Thursday, 23rd July, 2009, Isle of Wight
ShortURL: http://wig.ht/27vf
Read More- Green Issues, Newport, Vestas Sit-In, Video Content
em>VentnorBlog were on the scene when the call came in from those doing the sit-in at Vestas.
Steve Stotesbury got straight on the loud-hailer and announced it to the crowd.
Vestas staff inside the building had been told by management that if they did not leave the building before an imminent press release came out from Vestas that they would be arrested, sacked and lose their redundancy payments.
If they did choose to leave before the press release was released they would only be arrested and not sacked.
Watch the video after the jump
Beware of muffled strong language near the end of the video
Hmm,
I can understand the management wanting this to be over but this is looking like bully boy tactics.
The management should be more pragmatic here.
If they contain the protest and get on with the business that have left for the next week they could just close the plant.
They could try to activly negotiate with the protesters and seek to end it amicably.
I am in full support of the protesters.
I think we are in the 11th hour for the plant though and saving it is going to be difficult with only a week left.
There is a bigger issue here, the position of the Government. We are in a global crisis, the short term future of this site is poor, the long term future is good.
Vestas are moving production to the US because in the US they want US workers to make US turbines. In many cases it is law that US companies are used in goverment supported projects, an entire pipeline was dug up becasue the pipes used were Canadian not US.
You cannot blame Vestas for that.
You can blame the UK government for promoting wind generation but ignoreing the infrastructure needed for it.
The Goverment seem to have a total downer on UK manufacturing, there may be good reason why Rover was let go but when we will be wanting 5-7000 turbines surley we should protect the industry we have here and use the goverment investment in generation to strengthen UK PLC and not just export money and jobs out of the economy.
Vestas management need to be slated for the total balls up they appear to have made of the stautory consultation process.
And the handling of this protest beggers belief. They should have some human compassion towards desparte men trying to protect the livlyhood of their families not try to bully and starve them and bully the rest of the workforce by closing the plant and threatening to stop the pay roll.
It is not a war, Vestas will alway win and regain the building at some point but will they win the hearts and minds of the public?
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Hmmmmm, with regards to the comment about the handling of the protest, I don’t really understand why the guys went in there expecting to be catered for?? Is it a hotel? They seemed to run out of food after 1 day? And of course they have had to close the factory as all of the work that is essential to the last few weeks like payroll and finance and HR and re-training takes place upstairs where they are occupying?? So operations are hardly able to carry on as normal are they?? To say that these are ‘bully-boy’ tactics is trying to pretend that the protestors actions aren’t having a massive effect on the rest of the workforce who have to cope with the fallout of the occupation. What you seem to forget is that we are ALL losing our jobs – the managers, the blade techs and everyone else. Well done to the occupiers for highlighting to the world the craziness of government policy that has lead to the factory closure – but I wish you would leave now so that those of us who love our jobs can finish our time at Vestas properly without having to listen to disgruntled ex-employees gleefully leap on the chance to tear the company to bits and who therefore miss the entire point that these are good jobs which are worth fighting for.
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That is how this company have always worked by using bully boy tactic, They took guys off the shop floor and promoted them if they could shout and force there way around, They had a lot of people who could have built some really good teams and produced an excellent product, with a happy workforce But that is not how the senior management wanted it, it was more of a case of put up or shut up, If you opened your mouth they would kick you out!
The management should now be trying to talk to them to resolve this, not bullying them to come out, by blocking food supplys and turning the electric off!
I am so pleased the RMT have said they will assist these guys, the company has always blocked unions going in. As i know for a fact there have been a few attempts!
I hope these guys do win and I trust the WHOLE management get there just deserts!
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Win what?
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totally agree with the above comment. Vestas used to be a good place to work, then they spoilt it by asking too much of the employees and not giving anything back. You weren’t allowed to voice an opinion and if you did you most of the time you were pushed to one side and denied any further positions in the company.
The ones that did get ahead were mostly yes men or ones that were friends (jobs 4 the boys anyone?)
You only have to look at 90% of the people who got jobs in the forthcoming new technology centre to see what goes on, it will never change.
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Perhaps council employees could stage a sit in at county hall to draw attention to Beynon and his bully boys
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