Film von der Vestas-Besetzung & -Demo

Bilder von vergangenen Sonnabend, weitere, permanent aktualisierte Infos zu der Besetzung der von der Schliessung bedrohten Windkraftanlagenfabrik in Newport/Isle of Wight hier (englisch) und hier (deutsch)

RMT: Unterstützung der Vestas-BesetzerInnen per Hubschrauber!?

Neues von der Vestas-Besetzung, die als klassenkämpferisch bekannte Gewerkschaft National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) und ihr Generalsekretär Bob Crow erklären sich nicht nur solidarisch sondern kündigen auch an, im Zweifelsfall mit unkonventionellen Methoden die von den Bullen belagerten BesetzerInnen mit Lebensmitteln versorgen zu wollen:

„At a rally at the factory last night, RMT general secretary Bob Crow confirmed that the union was making contingency arrangements to get food, water and other supplies into the factory, including the possible use of a helicopter, to prevent the workers from being starved into submission.

Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said today:

“The whole of the trade union and environmental movement should be proud of the courage and determination being shown by the workers at Vestas in the teeth of threats and intimidation. We all have a duty to ensure that they are not beaten into submission.

“This dispute brings together two crucial issues – the right to protection from companies who abuse the law to hire and fire and the right to live in a world where the environment and sustainability are absolute priorities.

“We are demanding an urgent intervention from Ed Milliband today. The government stand accused of sheer hypocrisy over their public announcements on climate change while our only wind turbine factory faces the axe. If the government can nationalise the banks at the drop of a hat there is no reason whatsoever why they can’t nationalise Vestas.”“

Bewaffnet mit frischem Obst

Ein Mensch, welcher den BesetzerInnen der Vestas-Büros auf der Isle of Wight etwas zu essen bringen wollte, wurde, wie die Times berichtete, heute morgen von den Bullen festgenommen:

„…
In the early hours, a supporter from Kent was arrested when he rushed on to the factory premises and tried to attach food to a rope lowered by the protesters from a balcony.

“A guy ran across with a big bag of food to tie to the rope but three police officers just jumped him, handcuffed him, and took the food away,” Mr Smith said.

Ben Leamy, 38, was held for several hours but released without charge.

His custody sheet, seen by The Times, accused him of being “armed with supplies of food”.

The arresting officer wrote: “Believed that the DP [Detained Person] was going to supply the food. In doing so, fear that that the protest would be prolonged and therefore possibility of breach of the peace. Arrested to prevent same.”

Mr Leamy said: “I made it all the way to the rope with a huge bag of sausage rolls, scotch eggs and fruit and in another three seconds it would have been on its way up. Then they just piled on and grabbed me.”“

aber wie wir wissen kann Obst sehr gefährlich sein, offenbar haben auch die lieben Bobbies daran gedacht:

scheint aber (aus der Sicht von Bullen und Firma) nichts genützt zu haben ;-)

„A mass walk-in from supporting protestors outside the plant has made it past the police to get food to the occupying workers, although they did not get any more people in.“

Bulleneinsatz gegen Vestas-Besetzung

Offenbar scheinen die Cops derzeit den BesetzerInnen der Büros der von der Schliessung bedrohten Vestas-Windkraftanlagenfabrik (mehr dazu hier und hier) in Newport/Isle of Wight massiv unter Druck zu setzen, die Bullen haben auf Anweisung der Firmenleitung das Gelände abgeriegelt und scheinen die KollegInnen aushungern zu wollen. Nachfolgend dokumentiert ein Statement der BesetzerInnen, eine aktuelle BBC-Meldung dazu findet mensch hier:

VESTAS WORKERS BESIEGED BY RIOT POLICE

Workers staging a sit-in at the soon-to-close Vestas wind turbine plant on the Isle of Wight are being starved out by police.

The police, many inside the factory and dressed in riot gear, have denied food to the workers who took over the factory offices last night, to protest about the closure of their factory. The police, operating with highly questionable legal authority, have surrounded the offices, preventing supporters from joining the sit-in, and preventing food from being brought to the protestors.

Around 20 workers at the Vestas Plant in Newport, on the Isle of Wight, occupied the top floor of offices in their factory to protest against its closure which will result in over 500 job losses.

Acting without an injunction, on private property, the police have repeatedly tried to break into the office where the protesting workers have barricaded themselves, and have threatened the workers with arrest for aggravated trespass, despite the fact that no damage has been done to the property where the protest is taking place. Police have also forcibly removed people from private property, another action that is of very questionable legality in the absence of a formal injunction.

The officer involved in the latter action was number 3606. The officer who appears to be in charge is 3115. It may help to let the local police authorities know that we are unhappy with their handling of the situation – in this case the email address to bombard is professional.standards@hampshire.pnn.police.uk

This heavy handed response is the latest in a long line of over-reactions to protest by various UK police forces.

Vestas-Büro von ArbeiterInnen besetzt

Aus Protest gegen die geplante Schliessung des Werkes der Windturbinenfirma Vestas im britischen Newport (Isle of Wight) haben am gestrigen Abend 20 ArbeiterInnen die Verwaltung der britischen Filiale des Konzerns in Cowes besetzt. Das Vestas-Werk in Newport beschäftigt 525 Menschen, der dänische Konzern will das Werk – trotz „schwarzer Zahlen“ zum Ende des Monats schliessen und zusätzlich 100 Beschäftigte in Southampton entlassen. In der BRD hat Vestas übrigens Werke in Husum, Hamburg, Osnabrück, Zwickau, Lübeck, Magdeburg und Lauchhammer, also genug Möglichkeiten für Soliaktionen. Weitere Infos gibt es auf dem Blog der BesetzerInnen und bei The Commune, nachfolgend dokumentiert ein Artikel von LibCom:

Workers from the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight who are set to lose their jobs are staging a sit-in protest at the firm’s offices.

Danish company Vestas Windsystems is laying off 625 workers at the end of July, despite rising profits. It said the Newport factory was being closed due to reduced demand for wind turbines in northern Europe.

About 20 people inside the offices in Cowes have vowed to remain there until „somebody listens to us“. They began their protest at about 1930 BST.

Workers and their unions have previously called for government action to preserve jobs at a time when ministers are pledging a commitment to renewable energy.

One protester said: „It is our last-ditch attempt to save the jobs. This is a green industry and the government keep harping on about how much they want to get all these hundreds of thousands of green jobs going. But then they go and close the only wind turbine plant in England. The government offered to give Vestas money to keep it going, but apparently Vestas turned this down. What we would like to see is the government actually taking it over and possibly nationalising it.“

Police officers are in attendance at the protest, which was described as peaceful. No arrests have been made.

The Vestas factory is set to shut at the end of July with the loss of 525 jobs at the blade manufacturing and research plant at Newport, and a further 100 in Southampton.

The news of the job cuts came as the organisation, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of wind turbines, reported a quarterly sales rise of 59% to 1.11bn euros.

Vestas is one of the largest employers of skilled labour on the island.