Meeting with Business Secretary to discuss Tata Steel

Today the steel unions met with the new Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, to discuss the urgent situation at Tata Steel UK.

Following the meeting the General Secretary of Community, Roy Rickhuss, said:

“We welcome that the new Labour Government has made securing the future of Port Talbot and the downstream sites a top priority, and welcome also the Business Secretary’s commitment to working with us to negotiate the best possible deal.

“We look forward to working with the new Government to implement the £3 billion steel investment fund, which Labour committed to in 2021 as a result of years of campaigning by Community.

“At today’s meeting with the Secretary of State we discussed the assurances on future investment that the unions have already negotiated, and which formed part of the draft Memorandum of Understanding the company presented to the unions at our last meeting on 22nd May.

“We were pleased that the Secretary of State acknowledged the investment commitments already secured, and indicated these would form the basis of ongoing negotiations with Tata Steel. All stakeholders are committed to building on these commitments to deliver the best possible outcome for the workforce and the country.

“There’s no doubt that time is running short, and we call on Tata to engage urgently in meaningful discussions with the Government to unlock greater investment and protect jobs. The uncertainty must come to an end, and our members need and deserve to know what their future holds.”