Community, GMB and Unite have jointly expressed strong condemnation of Tata’s recent announcement to close the heavy end operations at Port Talbot steelworks.
Tata revealed this decision during a press conference held in India, following its recent agreement with the UK Government to transition Port Talbot into an electric arc furnace-only (EAF) site, potentially resulting in the loss of numerous jobs.
The three unions are unified in their opposition to these plans and have committed to utilising every means to resist them.
They are urging Tata executives to reconsider and give proper consideration to an upcoming report by industry experts Syndex, which explores alternative approaches for decarbonisation at Port Talbot.
Roy Rickhuss, Community Union General Secretary, said: “We will never accept Tata and the government’s plan to close down our iron and steelmaking facilities and supply our mills with foreign steel for however many years it takes for them to build an EAF.”
A Tata Steel spokesperson said: “We hope to start formal consultation with our employee representatives, shortly. 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.”
