Tata says plans for Port Talbot plant ‘would secure future of UK steelmaking’

Steel giant Tata has reiterated that plans for its biggest UK plant would secure the future of UK steelmaking.

Unions continue to urge the company not to press ahead with its proposals for the plant in Port Talbot, South Wales, which will lead to the loss of jobs.

A Tata Steel spokesperson said: “Our £1.25 billion plan for a state-of-the-art electric arc furnace in Port Talbot would be the largest investment in this country’s steel industry in decades and secure the future of UK steelmaking.

“It would protect the majority of jobs, reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by five million tonnes a year and could kickstart a green industrial revolution in South Wales.

“We have been consulting union partners for seven months and have taken on board a number of their recommendations.

“However, the unions’ own analysis shows their proposal would cost the company at least an additional £1.6 billion when it is already losing £1 million a day.

“Their plans are also high risk and would jeopardise the transition to green steelmaking.”

Reckless

Community general secretary Roy Rickhuss said the union had given Tata its final conclusions on the company’s restructuring proposals, describing the company’s plan as “reckless”.

He added: “It weakens national security by removing Britain’s primary steelmaking capacity and it would have devastating consequences for steel communities in South Wales and beyond.

“Our multi-union plan is a credible alternative to Tata’s destructive scheme.

“It would safeguard the future of Port Talbot steelmaking, protect all the downstream plants, save thousands of jobs and can be delivered with no compulsory redundancies.

“It is not too late for Tata to do the right thing and adopt the multi-union plan – and we hope that they will take this step.

“However, should the company choose to reject it, we will fight them every step of the way.”

Community is balloting its members at Tata for strikes in response to the plans.

Unite members have already voted in favour of industrial action.

Community’s assistant general secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said: “The company’s latest statement on the risks and costs associated with the multi-union plan is littered with inaccuracies.

“We acknowledge that Tata will make less money from our plan than they would from their decarbonisation-on-the-cheap strategy, precisely because that bargain basement deal is the cheapest possible option available to them.”