Tata workers meet over 2,800 job losses
Unite - whose members demonstrated outside College Green, Westminster last week - are among the unions who have opposed Tata Steel’s plans.
- Published
Steelworkers have met in Port Talbot to discuss proposals to cut almost 3,000 jobs.
Tata Steel UK plans to close both blast furnaces in the town by the end of 2024.
The plant is the UK’s biggest steelworks and employs about 4,000 people.
The company says it is losing £1.7m a day and will eventually build a greener furnace in the town.
Workers attending the mass meeting were given the latest information on Tata Steel’s proposals by local union representatives.
They were able to ask questions about the published plans and the steps being taken by the three unions in Port Talbot to oppose them.
Community, Unite and the GMB have all opposed Tata's proposals and have said they will consider industrial action.
Tata UK will close both blast furnaces at the Port Talbot site
The company has yet to trigger an official 45-day consultation on its proposals, and it has not shared any more details about where the 2,800 jobs will be lost.
A total of 8,000 people work for Tata around the UK.
Unions expect the majority of job losses will be in Port Talbot, where the heavy end of steel production will shut down this year.
Tata said the financial losses it was incurring meant it had to move quickly to cut costs.
It is also under pressure to reduce emissions, and has committed to building an electric furnace in Port Talbot, which will produce greener steel but with a far smaller workforce.
Employees and contractors attended the meeting at the Princess Royal Theatre in Port Talbot.
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