Laid-off workers open new factory
27 Jul 10
Workers who staged a sit-in at a wind turbine factory in Isle of Wight after its closure are setting up their own manufacturing facility in the same industrial estate.
The shutdown of the Vestas plant in Newport last year left more than 400 staff out of work, many of whom are still unemployed.
Sean McDonagh, who helped organise the 18-day protest following the move, has launched a new venture called Sureblades just next to the former Vestas site.
It will manufacture micro turbine blades starting from September, with the first orders destined for a wind energy project in Ireland.
Mr McDonagh, 32, hopes to take on more than 40 ex-Vestas workers within the next two years.
He said: "It has been hard work but I always knew it was the right thing to do because it was crazy to lose jobs in the renewable energy industry."
The venture has the support of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, which said the workers were an "inspiration", having overcome the setback with "determination and solidarity".
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "The former Vestas workers behind this imaginative new project have completely destroyed the argument put forward by the company at the time of closure that there was no market for UK-manufactured turbine blades.
"Through their efforts to create jobs they have blown apart the bogus grounds put forward at the time for closure and redundancy of the workforce."
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