Both of these are ultimately management failings.
I agree. If there are quality problems, they should fire the management and launch a quality/global productivity improvement program and retrain the workers (and the managers!).
If there is a local market, there is no reason to close the factory, unless its location poses a major logistical problem.
If the technology/design is flawed, they better change it, but then, I doubt it would be limited to this factory.
Indeed, the way they handle the conflict tells a lot about their vision/practice of management... "Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
The blades are only for one turbine type nowhere near state-of-the-art, the stall-control V82 (formerly NEG Micon 82), currently being phased out anyway. Had there been a serious onshore market in the UK Vestas could have reconfigured the plant to make other blade types.
So this was a QC problem specific to this particular blade at only this factory.
The fact that Vestas has indeed set up new factories already in the US shows that they could have done it in the UK if conditions warranted. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
But then, knowing that, they should have anticipated the closing of the factory and adopted a responsible approach to restructuring (i.e. find a company willing to buy the plant / help workers to find new jobs or create their own business, retrain them and, first of all, negotiate with the trade unions...)
Seeing how despicably they behave, I doubt they tried hard... "Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
Then again, even if the problem began with the UK managers, Vestas central should have over-ruled them. Whatever the mistakes were, they now have a nightmare problem which should have been avoided, and seems to be getting worse. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
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