Sit-In At Vestas Ends Today As Workers Exit the Building

The six remaining Vestas’ workers inside the plant ended their sit-in today on a peaceful note leaving the facility voluntarily after being notified by the courts they would be evicted. Two of the men waited until just minutes before bailiffs arrived on the premises around noon. The two men have promised to take their protest around the nation opening to spread awareness about the importance of green jobs. 

A third man left the building by jumping from a 30 foot balcony onto bushes below, much to the surprise and pleasure of the outside protesters. 

“We came in here trying to save our jobs and it’s turned into something much bigger than that,” said Mark Smith. “They’re shaking the door,” Smith said as the officials reached the balcony.

Although workers left the building peacefully, they told protesters outside that the fight for their jobs was not over. Over 600 jobs were lost when Vestas UK announced the closure of its wind turbine plant on the Isle of Wight earlier this month. The company has sited poor market demand as the cause of the closure, and although they have received millions in aid from the government this month they are still being forced to close the plant. The workers are planning speeches in surrounding areas such as Nottingham, London, Plymouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds and Sheffield.

“What we have witnessed here is the most courageous fight for jobs, the most courageous action I have ever witnessed on the Isle of Wight,” said Mark Chiverton, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the island and Unison branch secretary. “This isn’t the end. We are in a new phase.”

Currently Vestas UK stands firm in their decision to close the plant, and today’s eviction will mark the company’s return to control of the plant which was scheduled to close last month.

Special thanks to guardian.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information please view the article on their website.