Tata Steel bosses set for Port Talbot showdown with unions over 3,000 job cuts

19 September 2023 , 09:37

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Talks at the plant are due to be held on Wednesday (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Tata Steel bosses will hold crisis talks with union leaders at the firm’s Port Talbot plant tomorrow.

The Mirror understands executives from the Indian-owned metals giant jetted into Britain after last week’s controversial deal with the Tories. Under the agreement, which took months to negotiate, the Government will hand the company £500million of taxpayers’ cash to switch from traditional coal-fired blast furnaces to less-polluting, electric arc furnaces.

Tata will stump up another £725m to fund the transition at the South Wales site, which employs 4,000 of the company’s 8,000 UK staff. But the greener manufacturing process requires far fewer staff. About 3,000 workers face losing their jobs under the pact after unions were sidelined from talks.

Now, a showdown is due to take place, with sources warning all options for protecting posts remain on the table. A Community spokesman told the Mirror: "Last week's announcement was a bad deal for our steel industry. We want to work with Tata and the Government to deliver a decarbonisation strategy that respects our red lines and crucially protects our members' jobs through ensuring a just green transition. There will be a series of consultation meetings and we will be clear to Tata that we will do whatever it takes to protect our members' interests."

GMB national officer Charlotte Brumpton-Childs said: "Unions have called for an urgent meeting with Tata bosses over job losses across the UK. The Tata UK Steel Committee has been convened and will meet on Wednesday."

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Britain’s £2.9billion steel sector directly employs 39,800 workers and supports another 50,000 in supply chains and local communities, according to latest figures from trade body UK Steel. Visiting Port Talbot to announce the agreement on Friday, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch claimed the pact was “good for the taxpayer, good for the workforce”.

Government sources said the choice was between losing 3,000 jobs or 8,000 posts unless Port Talbot moved to electric arc technology. The Mirror has been campaigning to Save Our Steel since 2015.

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Ben Glaze