Earlier today we were back up at outside the Vestas site in Newport where 25 or so Vestas employees are staging a sit-in protest to the closure of the manufacturing plant and a loss of 525 jobs at the end of the month.
Steve Stotesbury is a Vestas employee on the outside who has found himself morphed into the role of elected spokesperson, announcing new information to the collected supporter on the perimeter of the site (fencing has now been erected around the site and is being guarded by a private security company).
Steve told us that he felt that Vestas management could have resolved this situation much earlier and how crucial mediation is now needed.
End the wall of silence
His view (which was echoed by many others at the protest) was that the management had simply dug their heels in and that the wall of silence from Vestas management needed to stop.
His advice for the management was “to do something that is very rare these days – to listen to its workforce.” He said they needed to realise that they’re dealing with people and not just numbers on the balance sheet.
Although there have been a number of reported ultimatums given to those who have locked themselves inside the building (the latest that they would be arrested, sacked and lose their redundancy packages if they did not come out before an official press release was issued by Vestas), there’s been little evidence of much room for negotiation from the Vestas management.
Show your support for the Island workers
Steve finished the interview by passionately urging VentnorBlog readers and their friends & family to go down to the site from 6pm onwards on Thursday to show their support to those inside. He points out that the Vestas job losses will affect a lot of the Island economy, not just those who have lost their jobs.
Assuming nothing has been resolved by Friday, a march is also planned from Newport town centre at 5.30pm, which will make its way to the Vestas site.
Listen to the interview by clicking on the play button below.
[audio:http://otw-audio.s3.amazonaws.com/steve-stotesbury-vestas.mp3]
Image: Darran Gange
