Situation with Teesside Cast Products must be resolved


National Trade Union Steel Coordinating Committee releases statement

The situation at Teesside Cast Products (TCP), which has seen the plant mothballed and thousands put out of work must be resolved says Steel Unions. Ongoing talks between Indian owned UK Steel giant Corus and Thai based SSI must bear fruit for the workers on Teesside warned steel union leaders. Members of the National Trade Union Steel Coordinating committee (NTUSCC) have moved towards balloting for industrial action should Corus fail to conclude a deal that protects the livelihoods of the North East steel workers.

Speaking on behalf of the Community Union General Secretary Michael J. Leahy OBE said:

‘Corus have dragged their feet at every stage of this process and left our members living on a knife-edge for over a year. We are now calling upon Corus to do the right thing and guarantee these workers and their community a future. It is no exaggeration to say that the loss of TCP will cripple the North East and gravely wound British Industry.

Obviously, Community and the other unions will take no action that would jeopardise a potential sale, our desire is to get our members back to work, but should Corus fail to deliver a sale or a compelling case against a sale, we would look to ballot our members for industrial action as soon as possible.

Terry Pye, National Officer for Steel at Unite the Union said:

‘Having spoken to our reps working at the Teesside plant, I can confirm that should Corus abandon talks and walk away from a sale, Unite will ballot for industrial action.

Keith Hazlewood of the GMB said:

‘Corus cannot make a case for 2,000 redundancies and the destruction of Britain’s manufacturing capacity, the GMB see these job losses as unacceptable and avoidable. Should Corus abandon talks to sell the plant the GMB will ballot members for industrial action.