{"id":7410,"date":"2016-01-22T15:43:31","date_gmt":"2016-01-22T15:43:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=7410"},"modified":"2016-01-25T13:09:02","modified_gmt":"2016-01-25T13:09:02","slug":"national-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=7410","title":{"rendered":"\u00e2\u20ac\u0098National scandal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As it couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get any worse for beleaguered steelworkers, today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s (January 22) Mirror front page reports that the government could be considering building new Royal Navy warships with cheap imported steel.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Coming hard on the heels of what can only be called a week of hell for steelworkers, Unite slammed the idea as a potential “national scandal”, and a further blow for an industry already devastated by closures and job losses.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As reported in UNITElive, the UK steel industry workforce faced one of its worst blows this week (January 18) as steel giant Tata announced the loss of just over 1,000 jobs, with 750 jobs set to go at the Port Talbot plant, 200 jobs in support functions and a further 100 jobs at steel mills in Trostre, Corby and Hartlepool.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

These figures compounded the growing tally of job losses in steel that began last summer. Over the last six months alone, the steel sector has haemorrhaged more than 5,000 jobs.<\/p>\n

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To date the government has done little to protect the UK steel industry, steel jobs and communities.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So the revelations that David Cameron may ignore UK steel firms preferring to source steel from overseas make his pledge to \u00e2\u20ac\u015bbuy British\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 when it comes to major public projects look hollow and yet another promise broken to the workers that need positive action now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unions were angered after defence minister Philip Dunne let slip that steel for the Type 26 frigate fleet could be supplied from sources abroad, involving multi-billion pound contracts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In so doing the government would be actively denying UK foundries the sort of vital cash that could secure their futures and the futures of our steel communities.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0098Betrayal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt would be a national scandal if British steel wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t used\u00c2\u00a0to build the Navy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s new frigates\u00c2\u00a0and\u00c2\u00a0leave\u00c2\u00a0tens of thousands of steelworkers\u00c2\u00a0with a sense of betrayal,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said an outraged Tony Burke, Unite assistant general secretary for manufacturing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Experts were also concerned, warning the industry would be plunged into a yet deeper crisis should the frigates be built with cheap imports.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Criticism also came from the Lib Dem leader Tim Farron MP who accused the Tories of \u00e2\u20ac\u015butter hypocrisy\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bDespite the crisis, the government is not \u00c2\u00adcommitting to supporting UK industry by building these ships with homemade steel,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Fallon said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis is a small \u00c2\u00adannouncement that would make a massive difference. They could say they would use British steel on British ships. They are not.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In making the announcement that the government was looking to source steel from outside the UK, Philip Dunne said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bSteel is sourced by our contractors from a range of UK and \u00c2\u00adinternational suppliers, reflecting the need to ensure a competitive price and delivery at the required time and quality.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“No suppliers have been selected or any orders placed for the Type 26 Global Combat Ships.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Type 26 frigates, which can each carry 185 sailors and sail for up to 7,800 miles without refueling, will be built on the Clyde in \u00c2\u00adScotland with work expected to begin this year.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The first is due to enter service in the early 2020s.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Deflected blame<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

But the Mirror has learned through a Freedom of Information request that the not so straightforward Tories tried to deflect blame for any future deals signed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAs for all major defence equipment projects, it is the responsibility of our contractors … to buy the steel on the basis of cost, time and quality,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 was the MoD\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s response to the request.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And the Mirror<\/a>, which is fully involved in the Save Our Steel campaign, can show that despite David Cameron\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vow to \u00e2\u20ac\u015bbuy British\u00e2\u20ac\u0165, billions of pounds worth of steel business has gone to other countries.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It reports (January 22) \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe revealed in October the Tories were spending tens of millions of pounds on Swedish steel for two defence projects worth almost \u00c2\u01413.9bn.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe also discovered a quarter of design and \u00c2\u00admanufacture contracts for the ships have gone to foreign firms. British defence giant BAE Systems is awarding sub-contracts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut only six of the eight deals worth \u00c2\u0141187.4m have gone to UK companies. MoD \u00c2\u00adofficials also said just seven of 13 design development \u00c2\u00adagreements had been struck with British firms.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Devastated<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

All in all it adds up to a do-little government breaking its promises to the distraught and devastated steel workers of this country.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Commenting on what would happen if Dunne\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plan is enacted, Tony Burke said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe warm words from ministers\u00c2\u00a0on\u00c2\u00a0using British steel\u00c2\u00a0in major government projects\u00c2\u00a0would turn to dust\u00c2\u00a0and\u00c2\u00a0be nothing more than empty\u00c2\u00a0rhetoric.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bGovernment ministers need to give cast\u00c2\u00a0iron guarantees that if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s built for Britain it\u00c2\u00a0will be\u00c2\u00a0made using British steel.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThousands of steelworkers\u00c2\u00a0who face losing their livelihoods will be asking what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s\u00c2\u00a0the delay?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf the government continues to delay decisions like these there won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be any steel industry left in the UK.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more see the Unite film<\/u><\/a> \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Save our Steel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and sign The Mirror\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s petition at www.mirror.co.uk\/steelpetition<\/u><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As it couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get any worse for beleaguered steelworkers, today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s (January 22) Mirror front page reports that the government could be considering building new Royal Navy warships with cheap imported steel.   Coming hard on the heels of what can only be called a week of hell for steelworkers, Unite slammed the idea as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[430,269],"wps_subtitle":"Shock at possible foreign steel-built warships plan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7410"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7410"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7410\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7414,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7410\/revisions\/7414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}