Worker Climate Action News Today

North Sea oil workers have done something that no government or fossil fuel company has even attempted: they have devised a plan for shutting down the oil fields and transitioning to renewable energy.

North Sea oil workers have done something that no government or fossil fuel company has even attempted: they have devised a plan for shutting down the oil fields and transitioning to renewable energy.

The BBC is reporting that Vestas management have sacked the 11 workers involved in the occupation that they have so far been able to identify. After coordinating a police blockade to prevent any food from getting to the occupying workers, Vestas management eventually relented and have been delivering food (initially only cold, pre-packaged food in insufficient quantities) to the workers. Tonight, dismissal letters were delivered with the evening pizza.

On Friday 3 July, Workers’ Climate Action and the Cowes Trades Council held a public meeting attended by around 100 people, to oppose the closure of the Vestas plant, Britain’s only wind turbine factory, on the Isle of Wight. Two months ago, Vestas announced over 500 job cuts. It is seeking to move production to the USA.

For a workers' answer to climate change We fight for trade union independence from the bosses and the government and for an independent working class perspective on climate change. We want workplace and industry-wide committees and caucuses that fight for action on climate change at work and in working class communities.

What follows is the text of a speech written by a Vestas worker for delivery at trade union and environmental movement meetings, edited only slightly. It gives an excellent insight into the background of the struggle, and its wider political significance. Taken from the Save Vestas blog. Hello there – my name is Matt and I’ve come today to speak about a little factory called St. Cross on the Isle of Wight – otherwise known as Vestas; you may have heard about it before…