UK steelworkers’ future in the hands of Tata Steel

British union leaders traveled to India to hold crucial talks ahead of Tuesday’s meeting of the Tata Steel board, which could decide the future of thousands of UK steelworkers.

Officials from the Community union held discussions with Tata Steel representatives in Mumbai, where the board will meet later today to address the fate of thousands of steelworkers, especially at the Port Talbot plant in South Wales.

More than 1,000 job losses were announced at the South Wales site in January, along with additional job cuts at several other UK sitesincluding Rotherham.

These talks followed last week’s ‘Save Our Steel’ campaign which saw over 35,000 people sign an open letter to Tata Steel’s chairman Cyrus Mistry, in support of UK steelworkers.

The job losses are due to the competition from cheap Chinese steel imports and high energy costs which meant producing the metal in the UK was uneconomical.

Roy Rickhuss, the General Secretary of Community, travelled to Mumbai with two Port Talbot steelworkers and Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberavon, and Frits van Wieringen.

Mr Rickhuss said: “No one underestimates the scale of the challenge we are facing, but our steel industry is of vital importance to our communities, our families and our nation.

“In Mumbai, I’ll be standing up for the whole UK steel industry and asking Tata to give us the chance we need to succeed. Steel is the very foundation of our manufacturing base, even the Prime Minister has conceded that it would be simply unacceptable for Tata to end our steelmaking capacity.”

Alan Coombs, chair of the Port Talbot multi-union committee, added: “Our town was built on the steel industry. It has given us more than just jobs, it has shaped our lives and communities. On behalf of my town, my workmates and my industry, I will be asking Tata to back Port Talbot and the plan to save our steelworks.”