Buy UK steel

Central to supporting the UK steel industry – which has seen more than 5,000 job losses since this summer – is a public procurement strategy.

 
Simply put, if it’s made in Britain, it should be made with British Steel.

 
Campaigners have urged large construction firms in the UK, which benefit from millions of pounds in public contracts, to sign a charter pledging to use UK steel in all their projects whenever possible.

 
But so far, none of the six major construction companies has committed to signing.

 
One construction company, BAM Construction, explained to the Mirror that “the way the Charter is currently worded, we wouldn’t be able to stick to it.”

 
BAM’s parent company BAM Nuttall won a £695m co-contract to upgrade Victoria Station in 2010, and also won a £500m contract the year previous to upgrade Tottenham Court Station.

 
Kier, a firm which refused to comment on whether or not it would sign the Charter, recently reported a dramatic spike in profits, up 17 per cent, amounting to a pre-tax total of nearly ÂŁ86m.

 
The company has been involved in many public contracts, including HS1, the UK Supreme Court and, most recently, a ÂŁ40m Birmingham city council contract to build 300 homes.

 
Construction firms Interserve and Wates also refused to comment, while the company Mace, which has worked on the Shard and Emirates Air Line said it is currently reviewing its position on the Charter.

 
A sixth large construction firm, Willmott Dixon, said it would sign the charter once construction firms in the industry umbrella BuildUK reached a consensus.

 
Steel campaigners have called for a meeting on Thursday (January 28) to again press construction companies to adopt their pledge to support the industry and so boost the overall economy.

 
A spokesperson for the Charter for Sustainable British Steel that the upcoming meeting was “crucial to ensure construction companies play their part in protecting these livelihoods.”

 
Beyond supporting steel jobs and the wider UK economy, the Charter notes that construction companies should use UK steel because it is a high-quality product, and because it adheres to the Framework Standard for Responsible Sourcing (BES 6001).

 
This means that all UK steel passes through a certification process which guarantees that all the materials used to make it were done in an environmentally and socially responsible way.

 
Unite national officer Harish Patel for steel argued that the government must do more to urge construction companies to use UK steel.

 
“David Cameron needs to step in and make a compelling case that these six UK construction giants should buy UK steel,” he said.

 
“These building firms benefit from massive public sector contracts and they have a moral duty to support the UK steel industry in its time of dire need.

 
“The UK steel is of the highest quality and would grace any construction project,” Patel added. “These firms should disregard selfish short-termism, look to the national interest – and sign the charter.

 
“UK manufacturing and construction are closely linked and need to work together for the benefit of the economy and job creation”.

 
Unite has long called for a joined up industrial strategy which puts UK steel at the heart of major infrastructure projects. Find out more here.