Members of Unite are already going to ban overtime and begin a work-to-rule later this month in protest at the closure of blast furnaces at Port Talbot in South Wales
Unite has issued a warning that it is gearing up to intensify industrial action in response to planned job cuts at steel giant Tata.
Unite members are already planning to refuse overtime and initiate a work-to-rule later this month as a protest against the closure of blast furnaces at Port Talbot in South Wales. The company is transitioning to a more environmentally friendly production method, utilising an electric arc furnace, which requires fewer workers.
Unite says that Tata is threatening to slash redundancy pay in retaliation to the announcement of industrial action. Sharon Graham, the union’s general secretary, said: “Unite and its members will not tolerate Tata’s bully-boy tactics and neither should Labour. The union is now preparing to escalate industrial action in direct response to the company’s threats.”
She added: “The company is trying to hold the country to ransom, while needlessly throwing thousands of workers on the scrapheap. If Tata is not prepared to do the right thing, then an incoming Labour government must ensure it does.”
A spokesperson for Tata Steel responded: “Following the publication of our most generous employee support package to date and having shared assurances for the future of the UK business with our trade union partners, we had hoped they would put the revised offer to their members. It is therefore disappointing that Unite have decided on industrial action we are now considering our legal options regarding the legality of their ballot.”
“The enhanced package will remain in place unless industrial action is taken, in which case it would revert to our standard terms. In light of the ongoing impact on the business, the potential for further disruption, and in order to ensure safe and stable operations, we are now considering bringing forward the dates for the closure of blast furnace 5 and the winding down of operations across the wider heavy-end.”
“We are asking Unite to withdraw their call for industrial action and put the revised offer to their membership.”
