Tata Steel has warned its workers that it may be forced to suspend operations at its plant by 7 July because of a strike organised by trade union, Unite. The Indian steelmaker had intended to close one of the plant’s blast furnaces at the end of June and the second by September. However, workers have now been told safety and stability cannot be guaranteed in the face of the strike, which is set to commence on 8 July. The Welsh government, meanwhile, warned that it would not support the closure of both furnaces.
Last week, Unite announced that 1,500 of its members would begin an indefinite strike on 8 July in protest at the loss of thousands of jobs. Tata has said that the strikes force the company to speed up closure plans. The company intends to close both furnaces by the end of September, resulting in 2,800 job losses. A Tata spokesperson stated that the company would soon take legal action to contest Unite’s strike ballot. If it is unable to operate safely during the strikes, Tata would have “not choice but to pause or stop heavy end operations [including both blast furnaces] on the Port Talbot site”.
Tata urged Unite to retract the strikes in favour of accepting the company’s proposal, which includes “generous employee support packages, training and skills development”. Tata has said it understands the impact the closures will have, but claims it is pursuing a “just transition” and working towards a “long and sustainable future”. Unite has yet to respond.
Vaughan Gething, Wales’ first minister, described Tata’s plan as “extraordinary” and asked the company to wait until the results of the upcoming UK general election. In a press statement, Gething said the announcement would spark “huge anxiety for the workforce, their families and the community”. Acting while the country was voting would not de-escalate the situation, he added
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