The Trade Union group met with the Island MP on Friday the 5th June at Andrew Turner’s office.

Christopher Wakely reports:  Those present were The Chair and Secretary of the Island Unite Union, Secretaries of the Ryde and Cowes Trades Union Councils and Unison Union Rep.

Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner started the meeting with an optimistic view that although Vestas was going, GKN were expanding.  The Unite spokesperson pointed out that there would be a maximum of 15 new jobs at GKN.

Andrew Turner stated that the companies such as Vestas in Europe had only made a profit because of huge subsidies to the so called “Green” industries. It was suggested by the Ryde Trades Council that if public money was poured into these companies then they owed a debt to local communities not to leave when larger subsidies could be found elsewhere.  Mr Turner stated that this was private capital and as such could not be dictated to.

When asked why governments could pass laws obstructing Trades Union in supporting fellow Trade Unionist that are in dispute but private capital was sacred he seemed to accept the point.

There was an air of wonderment at the fatalistic attitude that Andrew Turner had in accepting the right of Vestas to close at a moments notice with no suggestion of concern from the MP on what the loss of 6oo jobs would do to the Islands economy.

The Trade Union side felt that it was a message of despair relying on the hope that private capital could provide funds to build the Island economy sufficiently to make up for the loss of Vestas jobs and the other job losses at Trucast in Ryde.

More related news: Island MP To Question Vestas Closure.