It’s Merry Christmas and not so much of a Happy New Year for staff at Vestas’ Isle of Wight factory as it is announced 600 jobs are at risk of redundancy.
An all-staff meeting was called at the Stag Lane depot in Newport this morning (Wednesday) where anxious workers learnt that their jobs are all at risk, although around 300 roles could be saved if new projects with the Government come to fruition.
A formal 45-day consultation period has now been entered, with a decision on the future of local jobs expected on 25th January 2025.
Staff were sent home early from last night’s night shift to ensure they could attend today’s crunch meeting. During the meeting, staff in uniform were told to get changed as they wouldn’t be going back onto the shop floor and doors to the rest of the building were closed.
Island Echo understands that all staff have now been sent home for the day to process the devastating news, with the workforce due back in from tomorrow to finish 3 blades currently in production.
The devastating news comes just 2 weeks before Christmas, leaving hundreds of local families now wondering what 2025 will look like. It is a massive blow for the local economy too, with between 300 and 600 people expected to be out of work within months.
Vestas’ technology activities, which employ approximately 140 people on the Island, are not impacted by this decision and will remain a company centre of excellence for blade research, design and development.
A spokesperson for the company told employees this morning:
“You are aware that this was the last customer project in the pipeline for the V1 74. There is no longer any demand for this product in the market, and we have not secured any additional orders for the V1 74.
“We have been building blades for the service project, which was intended to take us through early to March next year, with the expectation that we would build 33 blades…
“Today, I need to tell you that the order from service has been reduced from 33 to 15 blades. Due to this reduction, we are building the last web and prefab components now.
“I know that this is sad and disappointing news”.
It was 15 years ago that redundancies at Vestas’ St Cross site led to a sit-in protest being launched by 11 employees, which lasted more than 2 weeks. You can read more on this event at https://www.islandecho.co.uk/workers-occupied-vestas-turbine-factory-in-job-loss-protest-15-years-ago/.
UPDATE @ 12:50 – Anders Nielsen, Group CTOO of Vestas, has today said:
“We have invested in jobs and manufacturing activities on the Isle of Wight for more than two decades, and we have great pride in the technical expertise that has been developed at the site.
“We are pleased that this partnership in principle with the UK Government means we can continue manufacturing activities at the Isle of Wight to support the deployment of onshore wind in the UK.
“The commitment to domestic manufacturing and clean energy from the new government and Secretary of State has been instrumental in making this decision.
“My sincere gratitude goes to everyone working for us on the Isle of Wight, for their significant contribution to wind energy, and we are pleased to be retaining, and offering a significant number of opportunities for our impacted colleagues during this process.”
UPDATE @ 16:00 – Further details surrounding the decision to put 600 staff members on notice at Vestas’ Isle of Wight factory have come to light, with the firm entering into an Agreement in Principle with the UK Government to produce the V136 blade.
Meanwhile, Joe Robertson, MP for Isle of Wight East, has said:
“I am obviously hugely disappointed, and it will cause great stress to employees and their families, particularly at this time of year.
“I understand that Vestas have given assurances that employees not retained at the Medina site will be offered opportunities within other parts of the business, including roles supporting operations at other Vestas sites.
“However, it is no good offering jobs hundreds of miles away meaning young working families decide to leave the Island for good. If there are jobs available in the Solent area, we know that the cost of commuting off the Island is high and ferry services are unreliable, so this is not a viable option for many.
“Not all of the jobs at risk on the Island are currently filled by people living on the Island and I have asked that jobs done by Island residents are prioritised for saving in the workforce reorganisation.”
The first of many!! How’s that new budget working out for you Kier.
I’ve just had an email from a supplier closing one of their branches in two weeks time, because of increased costs.
The UK is an unpredictably and hostile place to run a business – those big organisations that can move their workloads WILL move their workloads.
This rich have the resources to move their wealth out of the country and WILL do that. I know lots of people ‘relocating’ to Dubai… and that’s just in my circles.
I’ve never been more depressed to be British.
I wonder how much longer it’s going to be before we get arrested for calling it England, Britain or The UK.
Labour are killing off businesses, this was
the world plan since the Plandemic was
orchestrated.
We are entering the 5th Industrial revolution.
“You will own nothing and be happy”
NOT!
Is the “green energy” scam catching on?
Just another excuse to skint people and
bring in a universal basic income, and
depending if you have been a goodie two shoes
what you get.
Well done Labour. 600 jobs going thanks to your greed for N/A from employers. That means 600 workers LESS paying any revenue into the country. Who do you think is going to bring any revenue into the country if you decimate them all? It wont be the scroungers will it, they are all whelking it, and won’t be all your rich croney mates will it they are all dodging it. So now all you have done is cause more people to have to claim benefits, an exact opposite of your screw the employers policy, because there won’t be any employers left to screw.
It is all part of their plan
You will own nothing and be happy
Did anyone read the article? They’ve finished manufacturing a certain type of blade. Nothing to do with Starmer, who supports more wind power.
Baked Beans are excellent for wind power.
So many varieties are available.
Lol
Was there 15 years ago when they shut down.
Same time of year absolutely terrible for workers as was then.
Scroungers want Gov money for support same as 15 years ago.
E
THIS is exactly why the education of OUR children is so important. A good education, as a back-up, will allow youngsters to move and work ANYWHERE. People say: ‘It’s because Island kids are just laid-back’.THAT’S not good enough! May I remind everyone, the island came BOTTOM in the WHOLE of England AND Wales in GCSE AND A-Level grades this year. It’s not good enough! Switch the TV off for a while in the evenings; don’t go to the pub so often; read to your kids, put a desk in their bedroom and help them develop a CULTURE for learning! It is the job of parents and teachers to encourage kids to WANT to go out there and make their own lives and fortunes, and not simply waste their lives living (existing is a better choice of word here) on this island, in the hope that an industry will pop up to provide well paid work. Some families need a really good shake up!
Typical always was a load of bollocks fed by grants ..just shows what utter crap all this green energy bollocks is a con.This shite labour government are working hard to destroy this country…its working for them.
The Farmers will beat the Government
K.S Bosses will make him retreat.
People power defeated the Poll Tax!
I was told all was not well back in the summer. Nothing to do with the budget.
Just wait until Labour’s recent budget kicks in,
there will be even more job losses.
We are heading into a recession, Labour driven.
Holy crap, it’s the Tories it’s labour. Are you all dump or just brainwashed by mainstream media. They did this years ago, most big company’s in the UK are doing it now and have been for years. Create a product sell that product give all proceeds to executives and shareholders, do not invest anything at all in the future. When that product becomes obsolete, scaremonger and blackmail to get government/council investment to create the next product. Rinse repeat over and over, you and I will will pay for this through taxes, the rich keep getting richer doesn’t matter who’s in government.
Governments all report to the same Boss!.
Governments are only a face of their elite bosses
who give them their instructions, so correct it doesn’t
matter which party is in.
Same hymn sheet.
*dumb
Get a Government job, job for life.
Cushy working conditions, excellent pay,
excellent perks, excellent pension and
Unlimited excellent sick pay.
No wonder our taxes keep going up,
it’s needed to fund their recent pay increases
and huge pension pots.