Last night the life of Blast Furnace 5 at Port Talbot Steelworks was brought to a close after 65 years.
Community’s National Officer for Steel Alun Davies said:
“It is a sad day for our union and our industry, but most of all for Community members at Port Talbot. For decades BF5 has delivered the best iron going, supporting thousands of good jobs and families and businesses, from across the community and beyond.
“Today marks the end of an era, and it is important now to look forward. Looking after our members is Community’s top priority, and people need to know the options available to them and the timescales involved. Furthermore, to safeguard jobs it is vital the future of Port Talbot steelmaking is secured, and that new investments are made so we can build again for the future.
“Community will welcome resuming discussions on a potential MOU, which have already delivered significant commitments from the company on future investments. Moreover, we look forward to working with our colleagues in Unite and GMB to conclude those discussions, at which point the package will be put to a ballot of our members.
“Crucially, going forward we will be working with a Labour Government, which has already committed £3bn to supporting investment in the steel industry. We look forward to working with Labour to deliver the best possible future for our members at Port Talbot and across the steel industry.
“Today we say farewell to Number 5, but at the same time we reaffirm our resolve to never stop fighting for our members, our communities, and our industry.”
Alan Coombs, Branch Secretary Port Talbot Blast Furnace 01 Branch, and Chair of the Port Talbot Multi-Union Committee, said:
“As a blast furnaceman and third generation Port Talbot steelworker it’s devastating to see that furnace die, and with no certainty on what’s coming next. What the workforce urgently needs to see is serious new investments in our plant and in our people. We call on Tata and the incoming Labour Government to live up to the commitments they have made and act to secure the future of our industry and our communities.”
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Community is the steelworkers’ union. More steelworkers are members of Community than any other union, and we represent the vast majority of workers impacted by Tata’s decarbonisation plans. We have a history dating back over a century, representing members and campaigning to protect Britain’s steel industry. We are a modern trade union, campaigning for a better working world.
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