Britain's largest steelworks in Port Talbot faces 3,000 job cuts

Britain's largest steelworks at Port Talbot faces 3,000 job cuts under plans being considered by owner Tata.

Unions have united in the fight to prevent job cuts following the company's announcement.

There is a deep split between Community and GMB on one side and Unite on the other, which has withdrawn support for an inter-union approach to negotiations.

It is understood that Community, the steelworkers' largest union, has invited Unite leaders to meet next week to resolve the differences.

Last month, Port Talbot owner Tata told all unions that the company plans to close both blast furnaces at the south Wales site and build a less energy-intensive and labor-intensive electric arc furnace (EAF) in the south Wales site. the next three years.

While plans for greener steel production have been announced, the Indian company has admitted that the move will result in the loss of 2,500 to 3,000 jobs.
Tata said its UK operations were losing more than £1 million a day.

But talks between the government and the Indian conglomerate are ongoing, but the support package of around £500 million is contingent on funds being spent on investing in decarbonisation rather than subsidizing or compensating the company for ongoing losses.

The warring unions agree that Tata's plans will not only lead to the loss of up to 3,000 jobs, but will also require the UK to import new steel, or "clean steel", from overseas before the EAF is launched.

This will mean importing steel produced in more carbon-intensive ways (and with greater carbon emissions through transport costs) than using steel produced in the UK.