Steel deal completed

Unite said today’s (May 2) announcement that Liberty House had formally completed a £100m deal to acquire the speciality steel division of Tata Steel UK, was testament to the skills and resolve of the workforce.

As part of the deal Liberty House has said it would create 300 jobs and make multimillion-pound investments to secure the future of five plants and the existing 1,700 staff at three major sites at Rotherham, Stocksbridge and Brinsworth in South Yorkshire, as well as sites in Bolton and Wednesbury in the West Midlands.

Welcoming the news, Unite national officer Tony Brady said, “This announcement brings an end to months of agonising uncertainty for Tata’s steel workers in the speciality steel business.

“This is a workforce which has done everything asked of them over the last few years to give speciality steelmaking a fighting chance in the UK,” he added. “Liberty House’s commitments on jobs and new investment are a welcome recognition of the skills of a dedicated workforce.

“We look forward to forging a strong relationship with Liberty House and working together to secure a bright future for speciality steelworkers and their communities.”