Reacting to Tata Steel’s decision to sell its business partially in the UK while retaining the Port Talbot plant, the employees union of the company called for a firm commitment from Tata Steel that it will not let the Port Talbot and its UK strips business to ‘wither on the vine’.
Unite, Britain and Ireland’s largest trade union with over 1.4 million members across sectors, called for ‘cast iron’ commitment on Port Talbot and its strips business.
Reminding Tata of its promise to be a responsible seller, Unite, in a statement, said it will seek to engage positively with prospective buyers of Tata’s speciality steel and tubes business.
Cautioning that the ‘devil would be in the detail’ the union said it will seek more details on Tata Steel’s announcement and guarantees over its long-term commitment to Port Talbot and its strips business.
Uncertain time Harish Patel, National Officer, Unite, said it was a desperately uncertain time for steelworkers and their families, who had many questions about what the announcement meant for them and their industry. Workers in Tata Steel’s strips business, which includes Port Talbot, want to know precisely what the steelmaker’s long-term plans were, while those in the speciality and tubes division want an assurance that Tata will sell to a responsible buyer, he said.
Unite will be holding Tata to its promise to be a responsible seller and seek cast iron guarantees over its intentions for Port Talbot and its strips business. The rollercoaster of uncertainty for workforce must end, he said.
The worst fear of Tata Steel UK employees union seems to have come true with Tata Steel deciding to find suitors for its more sustainable speciality steel business at Yorkshire and pipe mills at Hartlepool even while holding on to the troubled Port Talbot steelworks for a possible tie-up with ThyssenKrupp AG.