I have spent a good few hours at the protest camp outside the Vestas plant today talking to workers, trade unionists and environmental activists who are camped there in support of the workers occupation. Much of it brings back good memories of my own direct action days 25-30 years ago, but sadly it is most unlikely to turn round the government to a position of saving the plant through 'nationalisation'.
As I understand it Vestas have no intention of selling the plant. Why I wonder? So although I am keen to see some sort of takeover funded by the new government 'climate change' monies that were announced only last week, without a plant to takeover its probably a non-starter. However, IW Labour colleagues and I are lobbying government vigorously behind the scenes to get some fallback position for the 500 workers due to be laid off next week.
What is disapponting is that with the exception of Liberal Adrian Whittaker and myself there has been absolutely no support, or even interest, that I have been made aware of from the other IW Councillors. Indeed it seems to me that the only response of the IW Council leadership has been to ensure that the closure is managed well rather than to find employment alternatives. And as for the IW Economic Partnership.....I'm too polite to tell you what I think in print of that moribund organisation.
What is also very disappointing is the way our 'community' police force seem to be aiding and abetting the viscious Vestas management in trying to starve out the occupation. Probably illegal and entirely against the interests of the Island community and in the interests of big business. Vestas, a big business that is tied into two of the secondary school bids under schools reorganisation, whilst they lay waste to the lives of 500 families.
As I write the occupiers are rumoured to have been issued with a Court injunction to vacate the plant, so no doubt bailiffs will be doing their dirtiest shortly. Nonetheless IW Labour will continue to use whatever connections we have to find an alternative way forward for the plant before the end of the summer.
2 comments:
There could be several reasons why Vestas have no intention of selling the plant, including the present state of the property market. And it will come as no surprise to you that the police in most countries are on the side of those that have as opposed to those who haven't.
It's surely also true that irrespective of the availability of the site, the government wouldn't intervene in the only sense that could "save" the plant, ie by nationalizing it. And that the Council could do nothing, other than offer sympathy (which at least you and Adrian Whittaker are doing). So the complete waste of space that is represented by the IW Economic Partnership should come as no surprise, and probably doesn't.
A wonderful thing, the power of international capital: individual governments can do little to protect their workers against it. What government could do however is ensure that people are not plunged immediately into poverty when their jobs go; yet they would rather fight for the governance of an ungovernable country, insofar as Afghanistan is a country, than pay out of work benefits that even begin to meet people's needs. Not that they'd pay them anyway, war or no war ... and so less money is available to be pumped into the economy, because we don't want to make benefits "attractive", as if money were the only thing that motivated people...
It's a mad, mad world...
Come on Geoff, I know the IW Council is not perfect but to critise them for not showing an interest is just not fair. Clearly, you with your Labour Party/Government connections is having no effect on the situation so what do you do, blame the IW Council, they are the target for any ill that befalls the Island. The sad fact is that Vestas is the manufacturer of a product that nobody can afford, and would be totally uneconomic, without massive government subsides. Perhaps the Government would have been better off pouring those millions into nuclear powerstations 10 years ago. Remember all those years of 'Investment' by Gordon Brown'- Just pure claptrap. It is sad that 600 Island familes are the victims of a Govenment that has no clear policy about anything and cannot make any decisions.
Post a Comment