A real opportunity has presented itself for this government and, in particular, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to establish that what various spokesmen have been saying over the last year was not just so much hot air.
Ever since the banks threw the economy into turmoil, Mr Mandelson and his mouthpieces have been loudly trumpeting their willingness to aid the development of alternative, more environmentally friendly energy sources during the process of reviving the economy.
And now, from the unlikely location of the Isle of Wight, comes his and their opportunity to prove their green credentials.
In the process, they can provide an example of creative government thinking about saving jobs, as well as making an investment of taxpayers' money which, for once, won't just find its way straight into the pockets of the big bankers.
Vestas Wind Systems has announced that it is going to close two factories, one on the island and another in Southampton, employing a total of 625 people, because, believe it or not, of a "lack of demand."
Now that makes the management of Vestas, if not liars, then certainly a bit confused, since their company's website proclaims loudly that it hasn't seen any cancellations in its orders backlog.
It also shows, for the first quarter of 2009, profits after tax of 56 million euros, a rise of 70 per cent over the same period last year, from revenue of 1.1 billion euros, a rise of 58 per cent. And, given that its orders backlog has risen by a whopping 6.7 per cent, there's certainly no reason to reduce productive capacity.
Vestas certainly isn't an unsuccessful company. During the first half of 2009, the price of Vestas shares increased by 25 per cent. Over the early years of the 21st century it has increased its staffing from just over 2,000 to well over 20,000 to date.
So we have a successful and booming company working on an expanding market with great prospects.
But what of the employees who have earned all these profits with their work and commitment?
Well, at the first sign that the going might get a little tougher, this successful and supposedly forward-looking company dumps them like so much waste product. And that just isn't good enough.
It isn't good enough for several reasons.
The first, obviously, is the staff. But there is also the fact that, if the firm dumps its capacity in this country, any further installations will rely on material imported from abroad at huge cost, given the environmental penalty of transporting such enormous components.
So much for its green credentials, in that case. If wind turbines are to be environmentally positive, they must be manufactured as near as possible to their ultimate site. Their environmental effect is by no means established as totally positive and transport fuel penalties might well tip the balance.
So, there we have it. A transnational is dumping its staff in this country for no good reason except fears for the future. This staff has the skills, the abilities and the established production facilities.
It would seem to be ready-made for this government to save, by nationalising it and making the factories a centrepiece of its environmental efforts to cut greenhouse gases and produce clean energy.
It need not cost the taxpayer a penny over time, since the profit margins boasted by Vestas would easily pay for buying out the company and saving 625 jobs, with the resulting unemployment benefit savings, in a relatively short time. It would cut the cost of new Labour's alternative energy programme dramatically.
So get to it, Mr Mandelson. No-one will accept a failure to save these factories, least of all the employees and certainly not the environmental movement.
You can save these factories with ease - or is it just another great big wind farm in Westminster?
Ever since the banks threw the economy into turmoil, Mr Mandelson and his mouthpieces have been loudly trumpeting their willingness to aid the development of alternative, more environmentally friendly energy sources during the process of reviving the economy.
And now, from the unlikely location of the Isle of Wight, comes his and their opportunity to prove their green credentials.
In the process, they can provide an example of creative government thinking about saving jobs, as well as making an investment of taxpayers' money which, for once, won't just find its way straight into the pockets of the big bankers.
Vestas Wind Systems has announced that it is going to close two factories, one on the island and another in Southampton, employing a total of 625 people, because, believe it or not, of a "lack of demand."
Now that makes the management of Vestas, if not liars, then certainly a bit confused, since their company's website proclaims loudly that it hasn't seen any cancellations in its orders backlog.
It also shows, for the first quarter of 2009, profits after tax of 56 million euros, a rise of 70 per cent over the same period last year, from revenue of 1.1 billion euros, a rise of 58 per cent. And, given that its orders backlog has risen by a whopping 6.7 per cent, there's certainly no reason to reduce productive capacity.
Vestas certainly isn't an unsuccessful company. During the first half of 2009, the price of Vestas shares increased by 25 per cent. Over the early years of the 21st century it has increased its staffing from just over 2,000 to well over 20,000 to date.
So we have a successful and booming company working on an expanding market with great prospects.
But what of the employees who have earned all these profits with their work and commitment?
Well, at the first sign that the going might get a little tougher, this successful and supposedly forward-looking company dumps them like so much waste product. And that just isn't good enough.
It isn't good enough for several reasons.
The first, obviously, is the staff. But there is also the fact that, if the firm dumps its capacity in this country, any further installations will rely on material imported from abroad at huge cost, given the environmental penalty of transporting such enormous components.
So much for its green credentials, in that case. If wind turbines are to be environmentally positive, they must be manufactured as near as possible to their ultimate site. Their environmental effect is by no means established as totally positive and transport fuel penalties might well tip the balance.
So, there we have it. A transnational is dumping its staff in this country for no good reason except fears for the future. This staff has the skills, the abilities and the established production facilities.
It would seem to be ready-made for this government to save, by nationalising it and making the factories a centrepiece of its environmental efforts to cut greenhouse gases and produce clean energy.
It need not cost the taxpayer a penny over time, since the profit margins boasted by Vestas would easily pay for buying out the company and saving 625 jobs, with the resulting unemployment benefit savings, in a relatively short time. It would cut the cost of new Labour's alternative energy programme dramatically.
So get to it, Mr Mandelson. No-one will accept a failure to save these factories, least of all the employees and certainly not the environmental movement.
You can save these factories with ease - or is it just another great big wind farm in Westminster?
