Vestas workers: Stop the blades

Vestas workers are continuing their fight for nationalisation and jobs on the Isle of Wight (IOW), building for a national day of action on Thursday 17 September. The eleven sacked Vestas workers who occupied the Newport Vestas plant have still not been paid their redundancy money. The company are preparing to move wind turbine blades from the factory and the campaign is mobilising support to stop them being moved!

The campaign is appealing for support from the trade unions on the IOW to take part in the mass protest. Vestas workers have shown their solidarity with striking postal workers and bus workers on the island.

Make sure you take resolutions to your trade union meeting supporting the workers' demands for jobs and nationalisation.

Vestas workers Mark Smith and Mark Flowers visited and spoke at the recent Socialist Party summer camp. They outlined the campaign and the work they are doing to build support, which will include visiting the TUC as part of the RMT union delegation. Mark thanked the Socialist Party for its continuing support and gave support to the Youth Fight for Jobs march in November.

Wessex RMT are organising a protest at the Southampton Vestas factory and a rally as part of the national day of action. Support Vestas fight for jobs, 5pm, Vestas, Hazel Road, Woolston, rally 7pm at the Dockers Club, Brunswick Square, Southampton.

Nick Chaffey

Donate to the Socialist Party

Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to click here to donate to our Fighting Fund.