Workers Begin Seizing Factories Across Europe

Sky News reports workers are occupying a UK wind tubine factory, Vestas Wind Systems, for a sixth consecutive day in protest at plans to shut it down. Protesters and their union are calling for the factory to be nationalized, and claim they will not give up until the company agrees to keep the plant open.

Last week employees of New Fabris -- a bankrupt French car-parts supplier -- in central-eastern Chatellerault, threatened to blow up their factory unless Renault and Peugeot pay them compensation. Nearly 400 employees of New Fabris occupied the plant demanding the automakers pay nearly R350 000 to each worker. The Telegraph reported the French workers were paid the same week:

After lengthy talks that lasted well into Thursday night, management met their demand that laid off workers receive 30,000 euros in compensation, and the strikers removed the gas cylinders and put the cranes back inside the factory.

"It's a shame that we reached this point. If management had wanted, we could have avoided this tough conflict," said Christian Amadio, a JLG worker representative.

The staff at JLG are the third in France to make similar threats this month after workers from the telecoms manufacturer Nortel and car parts maker New Fabris. JLG workers at three plants in southwestern France had been on strike for three weeks over a management plan to lay off 53 of them.