FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE VESTAS DISPUTE

That this House commemorates 20 July 2010 as the one-year anniversary of the worker occupation of the Vestas Wind Turbine Manufacturing Plant on the Isle of Wight in response to the announcement of the devastating loss of over 600 skilled jobs and the closure of their workplace, England's only wind turbine factory; commends the courage and determination of those workers who were engaged in a fight for their livelihoods, their community and for the wind power industry in the UK, which was in the finest traditions of the labour movement; urges the Government to demonstrate its commitment to renewable energy through significant investment in the associated manufacture, research and development of wind turbines; congratulates those former Vestas workers and RMT union members who are now re-establishing the manufacture of wind turbines on the island with the Sureblades company; and calls on the Government to do all it can to support this initiative.