Around 2,800 jobs are to disappear despite a £500m government boost.
Multinational conglomerate Tata is set to close its Port Talbot steelworks earlier than originally announced due to strike plans.
The company said it would bring the final closure date from September to July 7 because Unite members at the steelworks were due to the July 8 strike.
Reducing emissions
One of the steel blast furnaces is to close at the end of this month as part of a push to cut carbon emissions at what is the UK’s biggest source of CO2.
But a second plant closure looks set to take place next month, hastening the end of the plant and the loss of 2,800 jobs – 2,500 in the next year and another 300 over three years.
It comes despite £500m of taxpayers’ cash to support the plant’s switch to cheaper, greener steelmaking to cut emissions.
Previous fossil fuel blast furnaces are to be replaced using a single electric arc furnace.
Political intervention
Labor pleaded with the company to hold fire on possible closures before the election of a new government on July 4.
Senior Labor figures, including shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens, have urged Tata to wait for a possible Labor government to allow new negotiations to take place.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is fighting for the future of the steel industry. We have secured serious investment from Labor to secure jobs.”
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Ms Graham described Tata’s move as “the latest in a long line of threats that will not deter us”.
“The Unite campaign is not about selling jobs, it’s about securing the long-term future of steelmaking in this country for the thousands of workers in Port Talbot and South Wales. We’re calling on real action in Mumbai to get on board.” dispute, sit down, negotiate and realize that the secured investment will be good for the company and the employees.”
The GMB union also voiced its support, saying: “Tata must back down from this irreversible decision and protect steel assets. There is a general election in a few days that can change so much.”
A Tata Steel spokesman said Unite’s strike announcement had been made unilaterally and it was “unfortunately forced to take legal action to challenge the validity of the Unite ballot”.
“If we cannot be certain in the coming days that we are able to continue to operate our assets safely and stably during the period of the strike action, we will have no choice but to suspend or stop heavy operations (including both). blast furnaces) at the Port Talbot site.
“This is not a decision we take lightly and we recognize that it would prove extremely costly and disruptive across the supply chain, but the safety of people in or around our sites will always come before anything else.
“The company is once again calling on Unite to withdraw its industrial action and join the Community and GMB unions in considering the memorandum of understanding proposed by the company, which sets out a broad proposal including generous packages of staff support, training and skills development.”
Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething said: “We will not be supporting the closure of either furnace.
“This will cause huge concern for workers, their families and the community. Urgent and good faith action is needed to ensure safety on site and prevent a serious and lasting impact on Port Talbot, Wales and the UK.”