June 21st 2024.
The steelworkers of Tata Steel in Port Talbot and Llanwern, Wales are gearing up for a major strike starting on July 8th. With about 1,500 workers ready to join the all-out indefinite strike, the union, Unite, is confident in their ability to make a significant impact. This is the first time in over 40 years that steelworkers in the UK have taken such a drastic step towards protesting against the company's plans to cut 2,800 jobs and shut down their blast furnaces.
Unite has already begun to take action by working to rule and implementing an overtime ban earlier this week, but they believe that an escalation is necessary to truly get their message across. "Around 1,500 Tata workers based in Port Talbot and Llanwern will begin all-out indefinite strike action over the company's plans to cut 2,800 jobs and close its blast furnaces," stated a press release from Unite. The general secretary, Sharon Graham, emphasized that this strike is not just about jobs, but about the future of their communities and the steel industry in Wales as a whole.
The union has received support from the Opposition Labour Party, who have called for Tata Steel to halt their plans and wait until after the July 4th general election to engage in talks with the newly elected government. Unite has secured a commitment of GBP 3 billion for UK steel from Labour if they are elected next month, and the party has also promised emergency talks with Tata if they win. However, Tata Steel has expressed disappointment with the strike and has been urging the union to suspend their industrial action.
The company's decision to close two old blast furnaces and invest GBP 1.25 billion in a new Electric Arc Furnace at their Port Talbot steelworks has been met with resistance from the union. They claim that this plan will not only result in job losses, but also have a negative impact on the environment. Tata Steel, on the other hand, maintains that this transformation is necessary for the future of the business and will create more indirect jobs in engineering and construction while reducing CO2 emissions by 5 million tonnes each year.
Despite seven months of discussions with UK trade unions about the restructuring plan, Tata Steel has not been able to come to an agreement with Unite. "By restructuring our UK operations, we will be able to sustain the business as we transition to new electric arc furnace technology," a spokesperson for Tata Steel explained. They believe that this shift will equip them to provide high-quality, low-CO2 steels that are in high demand both in the UK and overseas. However, the future of these plans and the strike action remains uncertain as both sides continue to stand their ground.
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