Tata workers to strike first strike in UK steel industry in 30 years

Tata Steel workers have decided to go on strike this month over a perennial controversy over pensions. This is the first strike by UK steelworkers in 30 years. At its plants located in Llanelli and Port Talbot, Tata Steel announced its intention to close British Steel's pension scheme next March. The proposed retirement changes will result in company workers retiring at 65 instead of 60.

Unions and steelworking communities have come together and agreed to go on strike at Tata Steel from Monday, June 22nd. This strike will be preceded by short strikes to ban overtime work. They will be held in the middle of next week, after legal issues have been agreed.

The chairman of the Coordination Committee of National Trade Unions of Steel said: “Tata left us no choice but to go on strike as the company has not shown willingness to return to constructive negotiations and resolve this dispute. Our members are determined to defend their pensions. These strikes will lead to massive violations. in the company's operations and severely restrict production. The company could avoid this by returning to the bargaining table, but unions will also prepare for the national strike day on June 22. "

In response, a spokesman for Tata Steel said: “We have tried to develop an affordable and sustainable retirement plan for our employees, so we are very disappointed with today's industrial strike announcement. a pension scheme that has a projected deficit of over £ 2bn Over the past several months, we have listened carefully to our employees during an extensive consultation process involving thousands of people.

In response, we will soon be announcing new measures that will mitigate the impact of the proposed retirement changes, especially for our employees near retirement age. We hope that these important changes to our proposals will be welcomed by employees and unions, and they will reconsider the decision to go on strike. At a time when our business in the UK as a whole continues to lose money and key investments are needed to create a sustainable future, we urge unions to think carefully about the impact of the strike. "