Strike at Tata Steel UK averted as union agrees to further talks

A steelworkers’ union that planned to launch industrial action on Monday over Tata Steel UK’s future plans for its Port Talbot plant in Wales has called off its strike, saying further talks on investment were ongoing.

The Unite union had originally announced a strike starting on July 8, after which Tata Steel UK challenged the voting procedure and accelerated the planned shutdown of the blast furnaces.

The company welcomed Unite’s decision against strike action and put plans for an early closure on hold.

“We have received written confirmation from the Unite union that they are suspending their current non-immediate strike action and potential strike action due to begin on Monday 8 July with immediate effect,” a Tata Steel Ltd spokesman said.

“As we are now confident of having the resources necessary to operate safely, we will therefore cease preparations for the early shutdown of blast furnace 4 and the wider heavy furnace end at Port Talbot planned for this week. We welcome the fact that we have not had to go further down this path,” the spokesman said.

The company said it was now moving forward with talks with unions, with the focus on future investments and business objectives rather than on revising the current plan to close heavy factories or improve employment conditions.

“The shutdown process for blast furnace 5 has now started as planned and we expect to be able to produce the last iron by the end of this week,” the spokesman added, referring to the blast furnace, which is scheduled to close this week.

Unite members went on strike in protest at the job cuts and their impact on the local community. Other steel unions welcomed the news, which Unite described as “vital”.

“Workers were simply not prepared to stand by and watch steel production shut down and their communities devastated,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.

The Mumbai-based steel company had originally planned to shut down one of its blast furnaces by the end of June and the second by September, but the strike planned by the Unite union for July 8 raised concerns that the closure could be forced sooner.

“We recognise the impact of our restructuring on many employees and contractors, but we remain committed to a just transition and – subject to agreement on government-backed grants – to investing £1.25 billion in low-carbon steel production that will secure a long and sustainable future for Tata Steel in the UK,” the company said, calling on unions to continue negotiations.

Graham had claimed that they were fighting “for the future of the steel industry” and wanted to postpone the matter until after the general election on July 4th because they had allegedly secured “serious investment” from the opposition Labour Party, which is ahead in the polls before the election.