The fight for steel
Thanks for defending jobs and our communities!
Unite's Support UK steel family fun day
Thanks to everyone that came to defend our jobs and our communities at our fun filled day for the whole family on 1 September.
Amidst the uncertainty, Unite organised lots of free activities – Live music, a bouncy castle, face painting, crafts and games and much more. Tata Steel workers also had the opportunity to discuss the campaign's next steps with Unite reps and officers and to find out more about the Welsh Learning Fund.
All were welcome and a memorable day was had by all that attended.
BREAKING: Strikes suspended after Tata agrees to new negotiations on future investment in South Wales
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a significant development in the battle to protect jobs and the long-term future of steel making in South Wales. Investment from Labour secured by Unite will be key to the future of the site. This breakthrough would not have come about without the courage of our members at Port Talbot who were prepared to stand up and fight for their jobs.
"Workers were simply not prepared to stand idly by while steel making ended and their communities were laid to waste. It is essential that these talks progress swiftly and in good faith with the focus on fresh investment and ensuring the long-term continuation of steel making in South Wales.” More details - Unite press release: Fresh Tata investment talks results in Unite pausing strike action
Unite Members at Tata in Port Talbot and Llanwern started industrial action with an overtime ban and work-to-rule +++ action suspended on 1 July 2024 +++
On the eve of the action Unite and supporters held a packed rally at the works gate in Port Talbot. Unite convenor Ian Williams sent a message to Tata: “We can sit around the table and resolve this. But if we don’t, we are going to fight. We’re going to fight to the bitter end”.
And Unite rep Jason Wyatt told the crowd that Unite members are: “fighting for our communities ... This fight is big. And Tata's proposals are damaging to our work, to our livelihood and we see it necessary to fight and fight all the way."
Press coverage of strike and rally
TV, radio, online and press media were all in attendance. Check the ITV Wales report.
Unite prepares to escalate Tata industrial action
In response to Unite’s announcement of industrial action, and in the face of Labour urging the company to hold fire until after the election next month, so they can work on a deal to save steel-making and jobs, Tata has threatened to pull enhanced redundancy offers and bring forward the closure of blast furnaces. Unite members are now starting to plan to escalate their action. “I will fight for every single job and fight for the future of steel in Wales.” pledged Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.
Jason’s speech - Hear from Unite Tata Steel rep Jason Wyatt
Watch Unite rep Jason Wyatt speaking to the recent Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners Pits and Perverts 40th anniversary night on how we can’t let steel communities go the same ways as the pits.
"Let no one tell you that there is not a future worth fighting for"
“Friends, make no mistake we stand here today in this proud town of Port Talbot - a town drenched in workers' history - making the very last stand for UK steel. The hand of history is truly on our shoulders. And friends, how have we arrived at this point? Because of a programme of job cuts and unrelenting industrial vandalism...."
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham addresses the Rally For Steel in Port Talbot, Saturday 17 February 2024. Read the full speech - Unite leader Sharon Graham’s speech at Port Talbot steel rally.
The Rally for Steel in pictures
March and rally around Port Talbot on 17 February 2024 involving unions, members and local businesses demonstrating their opposition to Tata’s plans to cease the production of virgin steel with the loss of 2,500 jobs.
Unite announces strike ballot dates for 1,500 steel workers at Tata
Unite, the UK’s leading union, which represents over a thousand members at the Port Talbot steel works has announced that it will begin the balloting process for industrial action on St Davids Day (Friday 1 March). Unite will formally notify Tata of its intention to ballot for industrial action on Friday 1 March, with the ballot opening on Friday 8 March and closing on Tuesday 9 April. Industrial action could therefore begin before the end of April.
The industrial action ballot is a direct result of the announcement last month by Tata that it intends to close its blast furnaces at Port Talbot with the loss of 2,800 jobs, primarily at Port Talbot but also at its Llanwern operation. Unite has secured investment from Labour for the site, so Tata’s actions are incomprehensible, with this investment around the corner. Unite will be balloting approximately 1,500 of its members. Check the full release: Unite announces strike ballot dates for 1,500 steel workers at Tata.
“Wake up and smell the coffee” | Port Talbot can have a bright future
Unite general Secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is the time for the Rishi Sunak to stand up and be counted. Stop dithering and delaying and back UK Steel and UK workers.
"With the right investment, linked to job guarantees, the UK can become the green capital of steel – creating more jobs not losing them. When are politicians going to wake up and smell the coffee and stop the decline of ‘UK PLC’?"
VIDEO updates | Check out the latest update on the Unite Fight for Steel
Steel towns nationwide have a message for the corporations who don’t listen and the government that doesn’t care: UK steel jobs are NOT for sale!
Check out all the video updates in the Fight for Steel video library.
The fight for steel is now | Whose side are our politicians on?
What steel crisis? - Check out the campaign launch videos for more
It’s crunch time. We need major investment now. The UK’s four blast furnaces, which produce 80 per cent of our steel and provide thousands of decent jobs, need replacing between 2026 and 2035. Decades of underinvestment have undermined the industry, but, if our politicians make the right choices, steel production in the UK can have a very bright future. Unite has developed an ambitious Workers' Plan for Steel that if delivered would make Britain a world leader. It’s time to save our steel.
What do we want?
Unite is asking all those seeking election to give a clear answer: Whose side are you on?
Unite is asking them to commit to 5 pledges for steel:
- Expand steelmaking capacity by at least double. This would take us back towards the European average, while introducing new technology and increasing jobs.
- Tackle energy prices. Bring in electricity price caps and public ownership of the grid to make our steel even more competitive.
- Change procurement rules to ensure UK public contracts use 100% UK steel. This alone can create thousands of jobs.
- Take a public stake in our steel industry. No more money for nothing. Public investment for steel must come with solid job guarantees.
- Public investment of £12 billion. This will fund a Workers Transition that doubles capacity and protects every job. It will pay for itself in as little as 10 years.
The campaign in the media
'We need to fight for future of steelworkers and Port Talbot' | Steelworkers will march against plans that would cost 2,500 jobs - its time to fight for the future of Port Talbot - we need serious investment to decarbonise and rebuild after decades of under-investment says Unite's Sharon Graham. Read the full Daily Mirror comment piece: 'We need to fight for the steelworkers and Port Talbot'
If the government really cared about keeping Britain safe, it would care about Port Talbot and steel | Read Unite general secretary Sharon Graham's comment piece published in the Guardian on Friday 16 February 2024.
After months of rumour, the giant Indian conglomerate Tata has announced a plan for 2,800 job cuts at the UK’s largest remaining steelworks in Port Talbot, the closure of its blast furnaces and, with it, a large chunk of the UK’s capacity to produce its own crude steel. The country risks making the same economic mistakes as it did in the 1980s, when Margaret Thatcher’s government allowed much of our critical industrial capacity to be privatised or offshored – but now we know far more about the environmental risks, too. With the future of mass steel production in Britain and our commitment to net zero at stake, it really is time to make some tough choices. Do we continue, out of step with much of the global north, surrendering meekly to the ransom notes delivered by the market?... Read the complete Comment piece online in The Guardian.
Stand up for Steel | Read Unite general secretary Sharon Graham's guest column published in the Daily Mirror on Friday 24 November 2023
If there is a better symbol of Britain's decline than the recent proposals to destroy steel making in the UK, then I can't find it. Solutions are staring us in the face. We need to invest in UK steel and make Britain the green steel capital of Europe, as well as ensuring all of the country's major infrastructure projects use steel made here.
That measure alone would put £7 billion back into the ailing steel industry. Job done, you might say... [click the image to read the full story]
Future-proofing for the next generation' | UNITElive: Unite's Workers Plan for Steel campaign brings young and older members together in fight for steel's future – 7 November 2023
British Steel: Government is guilty of abandoning steel workers | Unite accused the government of abandoning steel workers following the announcement that British Steel is set to make up to 2,000 redundancies as it proposes to close its blast furnaces in Scunthorpe - 6 November 2023
'Step up to the plate' on steel | Unite mobilises steel day of action to call on government for immediate investment in steel - UNITElive: Unite campaigners held a day of action in the UK’s major steel towns to raise public support for then union’s plan to save the steel industry – 3 November 2023
Unite's Sharon Graham: "While Labour's position is a welcome first step, there is still a long way to go and it is vital that Tata keeps its blast furnaces running until replacements are in place. We will soon be bringing forward costed proposals for a turn-around in the fortunes of the sector and will be pressing all politicians to put those measures into effect." Read more from BBC News - Labour more ambitious for Tata Steel - Sir Keir Starmer - October 2023
Unite is calling for Labour to allocate some of its £28bn a year of green investment funds to greening the steel industry – and promise to use British steel in all public infrastructure schemes. - Unite launches 'red wall' campaign - The Guardian front page story 18 September 2023.
Read Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, writing in the Daily Mirror - Time to transform industries
"Workers' Plan for Steel" campaign news: Unite launches a serious and detailed campaign with steel town voters to demand that politicians reverse the decline in the steel industry and turn the UK into a world leader in steel production - check the full "Workers' Plan for Steel" release.
Sheffield steel: Unite launches Sheffield campaign to 'target votes and reverse decline in steel industry' – The Star – September 2023 | Unite says it will campaign with voters to demand "politicians from all parties commit to a workers’ steel plan"
Unite launches campaign in Scunthorpe to demand politicians reverse steel industry decline – Grimsby Telegraph – September 2023 - a digital billboard was unveiled in Scunthorpe on Wednesday...
Videos: Launching the fight for steel campaign
Unite has launched its major 'Workers' Plan for Steel' campaign in steel communities across the UK. Unite is campaigning with voters to demand that politicians from all parties commit to real action to save the industry.
Unite's Joe Rollin outlines the steel campaign aims
Check out all the campaign highlights on the dedicated video gallery page.
Supporting UK steel | Check out this flickr gallery
Follow Unite for a Workers’ Economy on social to keep up to date with the latest campaign developments and actions:
Follow Unite for a Workers’ Economy on Facebook- Follow Unite for a Workers’ Economy on Instagram
- Follow Unite for a Workers’ Economy on X (formerly Twitter)
Want to know more? Check out the Fight for steel archive of past actions, events and updates of note.