Wednesday Vestas Sit-In News Update:   The occupation of the Vestas factory continues with a sit-in by about 25 workers  against plans to close the Isle of Wight wind turbine factory. Visit the  Save Vestas Campaign Blog.

More Updates & Related News From the Island Pulse below:

The workers staged the occupation of one of Britain’s only wind turbine factories  to protest against the imminent closure of the plant and the loss of 625  jobs.

The group of workers are now reported as having  issued a series of demands to the Danish owners as well as the Government.   They called on ministers to step in and nationalise the factory or help attract another manufacturer to retain the hundreds of skilled jobs, and on the company to improve its redundancy package.

Caroline Lucas, the Isle of Wight’s Green MEP, sent a message of support to the workers and called for immediate government intervention to save the factory from closure.

Climate change campaigners are planning a protest against the closure outside the Department of Energy and Climate Change in central London.

Read Related Island Pulse News:  Video News & Online Support For Vestas

VESTAS WORKERS OCCUPY: ‘A FIGHT FOR JOBS AND THE PLANET’ ©

Dave one of the ­occupying workers spoke to Socialist Worker on Tuesday.

‘We’ve occupied our factory to save our jobs – and to save the planet. Six hundred people work here. That many jobs going will have a devastating effect.

I’ve worked here for a year and a half but some people have worked here for eight or nine years. We had a meeting on Monday where we talked about what to do.

We decided we were going to go for it. People thought, “It’s now or never”. We went in as two teams, from both sides of the factory. All of the doors were locked – apart from the front door!

We’ve taken over the offices. This is the control base of Vestas on the Isle of Wight and across the south. There are 30 of us in here.

But we’re not going to be intimidated. We can see everyone demonstrating outside. There are about 100 to 150 out there now, which is great.

On Tuesday Press Association News reports:  Workers at the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight, claimed they have been locked out by managers following an occupation in protest at the imminent closure of the plant.

Around 25 workers have staged a sit-in at the Vestas Wind Systems factory, after the Danish firm announced in April that the factory, which employs 525 people, would close because of a lack of demand.

The workers decided on action after being turned away when they arrived on Tuesday morning and are calling on the Government to rescue the firm.

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Climate Change pressure group said:

“We give the workers our full support. The government should take over the plant and restart production and if there currently is not enough demand for wind turbines, then it should build more wind farms itself.”

One employee said:

 It’s a lock out,” “The Scottish Government has stepped in to save a wind turbine factory, so why can’t our Government do the same?”

Another worker inside the factory, who did not want to give his name, said:

“We want the Government to nationalise the company and stick to their word because they have stated in the past week that they want to create as many green jobs as possible but they seem quite happy to let this factory close.”

He said employees intended to continue the sit-in until they had won their case.

Related News From Save Vestas Campaign Blog:

RMT pledges legal assistance and full backing

Fighting Fund receives £600 in 24 hours

23/07/09 -A Statement From the Vestas Workers Inside the Factory

Vesta Blade workers’  families and Isle of Wight residents wishing to show their support for keeping jobs at Vestas, are being invited to a meeting tonight and a public demonstration on Friday.

Vesta Protesters Get Food Via Mass Walk In A mass walk-in from supporting protestors outside Vestas has made it past the police to get food to the occupying workers,  although they did not get any more people in. This news is in addition to our inclusion many hours ago of the featured image and news supplied via Greenwight on Twitter .

Inside Vestas Day One Workers who are staging a sit-in protest at the closure of one of Britain’s only wind turbine factories on the Isle of Wight, have wrote about the events surrounding Day One of the occupation. Follow the News from The Inside of Vestas here… Inside Vestas Day One

Man Released After Vestas Arrest