A Danish wind turbine company will appear before a court in the Isle of Wight today seeking to end the occupation of its factory by the workforce.
Around 20 men at the Vestas plant near Newport have occupied the building for the past nine days to protest against its imminent closure.
The company says its factory must close, with the loss of 625 jobs, because the UK wind turbine market is not growing fast enough.
Today its lawyers will seek a possession order from Newport County Court, a move that will set in train the process expected to authorise the arrival of bailiffs to remove the workers by force.
Hundreds of environmental protesters, who have supported the workers' campaign, are planning to attend a rally outside today's hearing, which is being heard in a neighbouring crown courtroom to accommodate the large number of press and interested parties.
More activists are expected to arrive today. Ticketholders who had planned to attend the recently cancelled Big Green Gathering - a four-day event in Somerset featuring music, debates and practical green living demonstrations that was to have begun today - have been urged to head to the Isle of Wight instead.
If the possession order is granted, it is not clear how soon bailiffs could be called, or if additional permission will need to be sought from the court to end the occupation.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), which will represent the workers in court, has advised workers that bailiffs could be "waiting in the wings" to empty the factory quickly.
Bob Crow, the RMT's general secretary, will address a second rally outside the plant later in the day.
Last night, Vestas sacked 11 employees it has identified as participating in the "sit-in", a move that will prevent them from receiving compensation for their redundancy.
The workers were informed in letters inside food parcels delivered to them by the company.
"Underneath each slice of pizza we had a letter saying we had been sacked and we're not receiving any money," said Michael Godley, 26, speaking from inside the plant on his mobile phone.
"Everyone's gutted – there's some people in here who have lost a lot of money. But it hasn't deterred us in any way – we're still as determined as ever and we're going to carry on fighting."
The letter from a representative of Vestas had yesterday's date scribbled in pen, and stated: "As a result of your participation in the industrial action and refusal to give up that action, you leave this company with no choice other than to terminate your contract of employment with immediate effect."
Godley added that if bailiffs arrived the workers would "go peacefully", but their intention was to stay. "We'll stay in here until they come and get us out, or until we get what we want. We're here for the long haul. We don't plan to leave any time soon."
The Vestas occupation began after lobbying of the workforce from Workers' Climate Action, a group of socialist environmental campaigners who have camped on the island for the past month.
Food deliveries from the RMT were allowed into the Vestas plant in Newport, England yesterday, but were cut off by Vestas management this afternoon.

Protesters at the Isle of Wight factory celebrated the delivery of supermarket bags filed with groceries, which entered with a police escort. This morning, the sixteen remaining occupiers were told to prepare a list of items for future deliveries. But, according to "Mark", an occupier in the Vestas plant, this afternoon Vestas management reversed their decision, terming the August 1 food delivery a one-time "goodwill gesture" and saying food would no longer be allowed in. The food delivery followed a formal complaint by the RMT that denying the occupiers food was a violation of their human rights. The people inside the factory have been conducting their occupation since July 20, in protest against the closure of the factory, which produces wind turbine blades for the generation of wind power, and the loss of 625 jobs in the Isle of Wight and nearby areas.

Mark went on to praise the "brave people" who have circumvented the security ring around the plant in order to get food and other items to the occupiers. An electric kettle thrown at the end of a rope up to the occupiers is said to be working well. Mark also noted that Louise Christian, a prominent British human rights lawyer, is now representing the Vestas occupiers. 

While the number of occupiers at the Vestas plant — originally nearly thirty, now only sixteen — have dwindled, Mark says the ones who remain are "very determined" and furthermore hold no ill will toward their co-workers who have left the occupation. In particular, the occupiers offered sympathy for Luke Paxton, who they say left the occupation due to a combination of personal issues and malnutrition brought on by the deprivation of food. Paxton, Mark said, has the remaining occupiers' "full support" and continues to campaign for the Vestas workers.

Mark also clarified the origins of the occupation. In contrast to claims that green socialist group Workers' Climate Action were behind the occupation, Mark presented a more nuanced picture: the Vestas workers' initial contacts were with veterans of the occupation of Visteon's auto parts plants, with the AWL, SWP and Socialist Party becoming involved later with "quite a big involvement" from all groups. Members of Workers' Climate Action attended Vestas workers' meetings and gave their opinions, but, Mark says, a committee organised by the workers and composed of workers was making all the decisions.

Mark also strongly rejected the support of Solidarity, a "nationalist trade union" closely associated with the BNP. In a July 24 statement, Solidarity backed the Vestas workers, with union executive member David Kerr saying "We are behind the Vestas workers 100 per cent. British jobs must be protected." Mark, in reply, told ''Wikinews'': "We do not want their support...they go against a lot of the things people believe in here. We have Polish workers with us. They're our friends."

Most of the Vestas occupiers remain independent of trade unions, with only three of the sixteen people inside being members of any union.

Mark closed with a message of solidarity with the occupiers of two Thomas Cook branches in Dublin, Ireland, whose employees began a sit-in at their offices on Friday after the announcement of surprise closures. "We fully support what you're doing. Don't back down...do not be pushed around, do not be intimidated".

The Vestas occupiers have also exchanged messages of solidarity with SsangYong Motor Company in South Korea. Workers at SsangYong have been occupying their factory since May 22 in protest against a 36% cut in employees there.

The occupation continues accompanied by a warning of increased union unrest in Britain. Neil O'Brien of centre-right think tank Policy Exchange told ''The Daily Telegraph'' that, while labour unrest had increased, the current state of affairs is "nothing compared to what is going to happen once the brakes are slammed on public spending."