Tata: Community union to ballot for industrial action amid threat of job losses at Port Talbot

Members of the Community union will be balloted for industrial action over Tata Steel’s plans to close both blast furnaces at its Port Talbot site, which could result in up to 3,000 job losses.

Following a meeting of union reps in Port Talbot on Tuesday 26 March, Community, the union which represents more steelworkers than any other union, has agreed details for a ballot on industrial action.

The union will this week be serving notice to Tata on its intention to ballot for industrial action, with the ballot then commencing in two weeks' time.

Alun Davies, National Officer for Steel at Community Union, said: “We’ve been clear from the beginning that all cards were on the table to protect our members jobs and save our steel industry.

“It has become evident over the recent days that Tata are not serious about engaging with our Multi-Union plan for steel, which they themselves have admitted is viable and could be the road towards a profitable future for their UK steel sites.

"Therefore, we’ve been given little choice other than to put this issue to our members and ask them if they want to take the next step towards industrial action.

“Now let me be crystal clear on this. Community and our members haven’t chosen this fight. We’ve put forward a credible and workable alternative to Tata, but it’s through their lack of action, and their unwillingness to steer away from their damaging plan that we’ve come to this point.

“We will fight for our members, their jobs, and their communities.”

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