UK Government statement on Tata Steel

The joint statement from Community General Secretary Roy Rickhuss CBE, and GMB General Secretary Gary Smith, reads as follows:

“This deal is not something to celebrate, but – with the improvements the unions and the Government have negotiated – it is better than the devastating plan announced by Tata and the Tories back in September 2023. Through the MOU discussions the unions were able to secure concessions including a comprehensive skills and retention programme, and extensive investment commitments. We welcome the Labour Government’s intervention which has served to strengthen and lock down the terms of the MOU.

“Clearly this is not where we wanted to be, and we know that a better plan was available. Back in November last year, Community and GMB published the Multi-Union Plan, an alternative approach that would have safeguarded Port Talbot steelmaking and secured a just transition for the workforce. Regretfully we couldn’t secure the support of all stakeholders for our credible alternative decarbonisation strategy, and ultimately the company rejected the basis of our proposals, representing a tragic missed opportunity.

“Under the circumstances representatives of all the steel unions resolved to negotiate the best possible deal, and then put it to a ballot of the membership. This is what we have done, and voting is underway. Our members will decide whether or not to accept the MOU, and the next steps we take together will be informed by the outcome of the ballots.

“Going forward the Government must review existing policies and do everything in its power to ensure that decarbonisation does not mean deindustrialisation – you can’t build a greener economy without a healthy steel industry.”

Following the Secretary of State’s statement, Alasdair McDiarmid, Community’s Assistant General Secretary, said:

“As the Secretary of State referenced in his remarks in the Commons today, the deal today represents a significant improvement on the agreement the previous government reached with Tata. After many months of difficult negotiations with the company, unions were able to secure extensive investment commitments for Port Talbot and the South Wales steel corridor, as well as a comprehensive skills and retention package. Those commitments have now been strengthened and locked in by the Labour government’s intervention.

“At the same time, we are not celebrating today. The Multi-Union Plan published by Community and the GMB last November would have safeguarded Port Talbot steelmaking and secured a just transition for all of the workforce. Tata’s decision to reject that credible and fully-costed plan will remain a huge missed opportunity.”

“In his remarks today the Secretary of State rightly noted that our steel industry has been neglected for far too long. It falls on the Labour government now to turn the page and embark on a new, forward-looking industrial strategy which has steel at its heart. We welcome the commitment made today to a new Steel Strategy, which is something we have been calling for over many years. Decarbonisation should never mean deindustrialisation, and we will need our steel industry to thrive if we are to create a greener, fairer economy.”

Join the union for steelworkers

Community is the steelworkers’ union. More steelworkers are members of Community than any other union, and the union represents the vast majority of workers impacted by Tata’s decarbonisation plans in South Wales. At Community, we are committed to fighting for a just transition that sees steelworkers and the UK steel industry thrive.