Tata Steel Plans To Sell UK Steel Operation

Officials from the Community Union held talks with senior company representatives in Mumbai, ahead of the board meeting. Port Talbot has already had to bear the brunt of 1,000 job losses announced in January.

“The meeting was open and constructive”.

In May a year ago, Tata Steel created a standalone long products division, which was hailed by unions as a move that would give the business greater flexibility and independence.

A ROW over responsibility for the state of the United Kingdom steel industry erupted today as Tata Steel workers waited to hear their fate.

A spokesman for Tata Steel said: “If we have significant news we always seek to tell our employees first”.

“Against the backdrop of challenging global conditions for the steel sector, it is crucial that the government is prepared to act, or we risk losing yet more high-skilled jobs and potentially an entire industry which is vital to our future prosperity. 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”.

“It has given us more than just jobs, it has shaped our lives and communities”.

Tata blames cheap imports of Chinese steel and high energy costs for threatening the future of its United Kingdom steelmaking.

“One way or another we will continue to make steel on Port Talbot”.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she said Sir Vince “could have done more” when he was in charge of the relevant Whitehall department.

But Lib Dem leader Tim Farron described the allegations as “rubbish” and claimed Sir Vince had played a leading role in defending the Redcar steelworks which subsequently closed past year.

The deal involved the government purchasing the Clydebridge and Dalzell mills from Tata Steel, accepting all liabilities excluding pensions, then selling them on to Liberty.