Welsh jobs ‘saved’ by trade deal with the United States
Martin Shipton
Llanelli’s huge tinplate works’ future has been protected by the UK Government’s trade deal with the United States, the town’s MP has declared.
Some 650 workers at Tata’s Trostre plant are breathing sighs of relief after Labour’s successful bid to remove hard-hitting 25 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel, said Dame Nia Griffith MP.
The news of the deal, brokered by the Prime Minister with US President Donald Trump, is a major boost as the aluminium factory benefits from a large export market in North America, where the plant’s specialist Polymer-lined coating is a huge seller.
Tariffs
Jobs were in jeopardy after President Trump announced he was imposing swingeing 25 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel, which threatened to decimate sales of the Trostre-made product.
Dame Nia said: ‘It is fantastic news that the Labour Government has seen off the 25 per cent tariff.
‘This removes the awful threat of losing trade which would make the factory less viable, with 650 jobs at stake.
‘The valuable export market is now protected, which contributes hugely to making Trostre a viable plant into the future.
‘They are pretty unique in making this Protact polymer lining so there was a lot of worry and anxiety felt by the workers and their families.
‘So thank goodness our Labour Government managed to get the tariffs completely removed.
‘So now there are zero tariffs exports to the United States from Trostre will carry on apace, giving greater security and making our Trostre factory more viable and more profitable.’
Transferred
The MP also revealed that over 120 workers from Port Talbot’s huge steel plant have transferred to work at Trostre, enabling them to keep their livelihoods.
Former senior union official at Trostre, Andrew Bragoli, who is Labour’s candidate for the Lliedi ward county council by-election in Llanelli on May 29, said the news was ‘fantastic’ for the whole of Llanelli and the surrounding areas.
‘The factory, with its 650 workforce, plus contractors, is worth £40 million to the local economy every year.
‘It is the biggest private employer in Carmarthenshire. The wages of the workforce is spent in the community so this is a massive boost securing the jobs for the future and many more in local shops and businesses.
‘Closure of the factory would have been a disaster, but this deal has been fantastic for the men working there.’
Mr Bragoli, who is a town councillor, worked at the Trostre plant for over 40 years, and was a Community Union rep for 20 years.
He said he was ‘delighted’ for the workforce and those that had just joined from Port Talbot.
‘It’s great for them all. The workers from Port Talbot are mainly people in the younger bracket with families and mortgages, so it’s great news all-round,’ said Mr Bragoli.
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I wouldn’t make declaration’s where trump is concerned. He lies and cheats and will change his mind in a flash. Just quietly accept it was the best of a really bad situation and keep your powder dry.
Remember this president is happy to accept a whopping big bribe in the shape of a 747 from hamas backers, arrests judges, wants to suspend the law, doesnt think he needs to listen to judges and illegally deports innocent American’s.
Pity we had to go cap in hand begging to an abuser and grifter because we left the EU.
Great post. Well said. And to those who celebrate. Less we & they forget that one Donald Trump has a history of reneging. After becoming US President, in 2017 he signed a new trade deal (NAFTA) with both Mexico & Canada saying it was the greatest deal ever only years later to criticise it as the worse in history. It was his deal.
The shotton plant would have been significantly impacted as well. As would aerospace sector. And so many companies in automotives supply into eg JLR. It would be good to see details finalised, but this agreement has potentially avoided a big impact to the manufacturing industry. Coupled with other announcements such as pensions and the battery plant last week, labour are quietly doing some very positive things last week
More grabbing at straws I feel from Labour self-servative “Dame” Nia Griffith. Bit too late for the 2,800 workers at Tata Steel , Port Talbot and thousands more in the surrounding area put on the employment scrapheap by UK Labour in favour of their English counterparts at British Steel, Scunthorpe.
Bit of positive spin to polish up the foul taste they got from kissing Trump’s backside. His antics with deals will sooner rather than later throw up some contradictory situations and he’ll renege on whatever suits his purposes on that day.