Vestas protesters glue themselves together outside Miliband's offices

Activists block entrance to energy department in fight to stop closure of wind turbine plant
Rachel Williams
guardian.co.uk, Monday 3 August 2009 16.32 BST
Protesters fighting the closure of the Vestas wind turbine plant glued themselves together this morning to block the entrance to the London offices of the energy secretary, Ed Miliband.
The group of seven activists spent two hours stuck together in a chain outside the Department of Energy and Climate Change in Whitehall, forcing workers to use a back door.
They were eventually removed by a paramedic and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass, according to the group Workers' Climate Action, which is calling for the Vestas plant to be nationalised.
Miliband is currently in Brazil. "The DECC asked us why we were doing it when he wasn't in the country," Sophie Lewis, a spokeswoman, said. "Our response was that he should be in the country."
The action came a day before the Vestas management goes to court on the Isle of Wight seeking an injunction to evict workers who have been barricaded in offices at its Newport plant for over two weeks. It came amid further claims that the company is trying to "starve out" the men.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union made a formal complaint to the police at the weekend about the actions of private security guards employed by Vestas after taking legal advice about the treatment of the workers.
The union said it had reached a deal allowing it to send food in according to the requests of the men, but that after one such delivery, on Saturday, Vestas said the agreement had been a "goodwill gesture" only and the company would continue to supply food instead.
An RMT spokesman said the union was considering taking out an injunction against the company, the security firm or both.
Officials said they were concerned about the health implications of the lack of food.Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said: "It's disgusting that Vestas are trying to starve the workers out, and we are calling on the police to take urgent action against their private security company to stop this outrageous affront to basic human rights.
"We will fight with every tool available to get food in to the workers on the inside whose only crime is to fight for their livelihoods and the future of green energy."
Vestas denied it was trying to starve the men out and said those inside had never complained to the company about the matter.
A company spokesman, Peter Kruse, said he did not know whether the claim about the RMT providing food was correct, but added: "The people are being catered for, and I guess that's what matters most."
The factory had been due to shut last Friday with the loss of hundreds of jobs, but the company delayed the closure after the occupation.
Climate change activists, trade unionists and workers have joined forces to camp outside the plant, and more campaigners are expected to travel to the island in preparation for tomorrow's court hearing.
Brendan Barber, the TUC general secretary, urged the Danish owners of the factory to rethink the decision to close it.
"Business, unions and government must get around the table and make every effort to secure a future for wind turbine manufacturing in the UK," he said.
"Ed Miliband has proved himself to be a champion of the green agenda and the drive to create new jobs.
"Now we are asking him to go the extra mile for the 600 workers and the production facility – the only one of its size in Britain – which is vital to building our low-carbon future. Everything must be done to look for positive alternatives."