Steel workers in Port Talbot will have to wait longer to find out whether they'll lose their jobs after a planned announcement on the future of Tata Steel was pulled. Unions were expecting confirmation of thousands of job losses on Wednesday after a board meeting of steel giant Tata, following an announcement in September that the giant Port Talbot steelworks would be converted to run on electricity.
Up to 3,000 jobs are in limbo following the decision but the UK Government said it would give up to £500m, along with Tata spending hundreds of millions, in a bid to secure the plant's future. Unite's general secretary said the union did not accept the need for "one single job cut." You can get the latest news from the Neath Port Talbot area with our dedicated newsletter here.
The company's board has met in India and was expected to give details of job loses on Wednesday, but this has now been delayed, reports the PA news agency. A Tata Steel spokesperson said: "We hope to start formal consultation with our employee representatives, shortly.
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"In these discussions, we will share more details about our proposals to transition to a decarbonised future for Tata Steel UK. We believe our £1.25 billion proposal to transition to green steelmaking will secure the business for the longer term, bolster UK steel security and help develop a green ecosystem in the region. We are committed to meaningful information and consultation process with our trade union partners about these proposals and will carefully consider any proposals put forward."
Two blast furnaces operate at the Port Talbot plant, producing steel used in everything from cars to cans. It is the biggest employer in the region and the UK's biggest steelworks.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the union contemned Tata's consideration of mass redundancies, adding: "We do not accept the need for one single job cut. The strategy of successive governments has failed. Taxpayers should not be footing the bill for new investment unless that is linked to binding job guarantees.
"Tata’s sole purpose is serving its shareholders, not UK steel communities. Only by the government taking a stake in the company will the right choices be made for the UK’s economy."
Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB national officer, said: "GMB expects a full and meaningful consultation before any detailed plans are announced. We are working at pace with our experts Syndex to analyse the company’s proposal and offer a viable and reasonable alternative that safeguards jobs and creates a genuinely ‘just’ transition. This was fed back to the company this morning and remains the position of the unions."
