Steelworkers vote for strike action over Tata job losses

Community say more than 85% of the 3,000 members surveyed had voted for industrial action. Credit: PA Images

Members of the largest steelworkers' union, Community, have voted in favour of industrial action over Tata Steel's planned job cuts.

The union said more than 85% of the 3,000 members surveyed voted for industrial action.

Workers were balloted after Tata announced 2,800 job losses across the UK as part of the planned closure of Port Talbot's blast furnaces, scheduled for the coming months, amid a transition to greener steelmaking.

Alun Davies, National Officer for Steel at Community, the steelworkers' union, said: "Today our members delivered their verdict on Tata Steel's job cuts plan, and they have voted to demand a better deal for the workforce.

"Community balloted more than 3,000 members across all Tata Steel UK production sites, and more than 85% have voted for industrial action.

"It should be noted this resounding mandate has been delivered in spite of the company's bullying and unacceptable threats to slash redundancy payments.

"We will now be consulting our members on next steps, and we urge Tata to reconsider their position and get back around the table to head off a major industrial dispute."

It comes after Unite union announced in April that around 1,500 of its members based in Port Talbot and Llanwern had "decisively" backed industrial action.

GMB union is yet to announce the result of its ballot.

Community Union has been urging the government for more help for the ailing British steel industry Credit: ITV News

Tata Steel plans to close both blast furnaces in Port Talbot by the end of September. Tata says its current business is "unsustainable" and is losing more than £1 million a day.

A new £1.25billion electric arc furnace, which melts scrap steel, is due to begin construction in Port Talbot in the summer of 2025.

In a statement in response to the strike action, a Tata Steel spokesperson said its consultations with unions "continues in an open, collaborative and constructive fashion."They continued: “On 22 March, we put forward a significantly enhanced, comprehensive package of support for employees impacted by the proposed transformation, which we have further added to this week – a commitment of £200million.

“We are naturally disappointed that while consultation continues, some Community Union members across Tata Steel UK have indicated that they would be prepared to take industrial action up to and including strike action if an agreement cannot be reached on a way forward for the business and its employees.”

Tata says its UK "restructuring" plan will mean it can "sustain the business as we transition to new electric arc furnace technology."

They added: “Our ambition remains to move forward at pace with a just transition, and to be at the centre of a future green industrial ecosystem in the UK.”

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