Renationalise steel now plea

Late last night (Tuesday March 29) Tata steel UK confirmed steelworkers and their communities worst nightmares – they are withdrawing from British operation completely – putting thousands of jobs at risk.

Commenting on the now uncertain future for the Tata steel operation in the UK, Len McCluskey, Unite’s general secretary has said that the growing chorus of calls for renationalisation cannot be ignored by the Conservative government.

McCluskey made clear that the message must go out now from the Prime Minister that he will take all steps to keep the steel plants functioning and people in work, and that this is vital in order to send the most positive message to potential buyers that the UK is serious about steel manufacturing.

In the grip of industrial crisis 

“We are now in the grip of an industrial crisis.  Decisions taken in the days to come will determine not just the futures of 19,000 workers and their families, across 14 sites, but the very success of this government’s own economic programme,” said McCluskey

“This is the time for the government to say categorically, without hesitation, that these assets will be taken into safe-keeping by the nation because without them our economy will not flourish,” he added.

Jobs are already going in the supply chain because of the uncertainty over Tata’s future – the big fear is that this will snowball if insecurity is allowed to swirl around the UK’s steel sector.

“The unity of voices – from business to government – to say that temporary nationalisation is the way forward must not be ignored,” said McCluskey

This helped save the Scottish plants and it has ensured that the Ilva plant in Italy survived.

“It must be deployed for the rest of the Tata operation,” he added.

National assets

“These plants are profitable, with the best workers producing some of the best quality products in the world.  Every single one of these plants and its workers should be regarded as a national asset and as such it is government’s duty to safeguard them for the nation.

The scale of the matters is so huge that the Prime Minister must take charge of the strategy from here on in.

McCluskey went on to explain that this will send the clear signal to the workforce, the industry and potential buyers that the government is serious and driven about saving this foundation industry.

“In addition, the government must act now where the Budget stood silent.  We need energy costs reduced,” he noted. “Tariffs on cheap imports must rise to the level where they do make an impact – the UK government could do this today.”

Anything less than active government intervention will see a vital sector lost and with it our capacity as a major nation to support our own economy.

“Billions of pounds have been committed by the Conservative government to the welcome project of renewing our infrastructure but unless this involves UK steel, the promised growth from this initiative will not materialise,” McCluskey noted.

In addition, there is the certain pain that will be felt by communities, local economies and the national economy of sending tens of thousands of skilled workers to the dole.

Unite has urged Tata to consider its obligations to its workforce and the people of this country.

“There should be no `cut and run’ from them,” McCluskey argued. “They must give all parties the time to find a buyer and retain the industry so that it can manufacture the steel we need, not simply process cheaper, poor quality imported products.

“Unite extends a hand to the government to say that we will work with them on all serious efforts to keep our steel sector alive.”