Tata Steel set to slash 1,200 jobs

Tata Steel UK is expected to announce 1,200 job cuts next week as the sector comes under pressure.

The company, which is one of Britain’s biggest steelmakers, will axe the jobs at a plant in Scunthorpe and two sites in Scotland, the Guardian reported.

It will be followed by further cuts across Tata’s long products division, which makes steel for the rail and construction industries, a source told the newspaper.

“[Tata Steel] really want to shut Scunthorpe; they want to get out of long products because to make that sort of steel in England is uncompetitive,” the source said.

The cuts emerge the same day as the UK government held an emergency steel industry summit. Unions have urged the government to take action to save the industry after the sector suffered another major blow this month.

Tata has been working to reduce costs after losses doubled last year to £768m.

The group said: “Our Long Products Europe business is working with employees and their trade union representatives on a programme to develop a future for the business. The economic conditions affecting the UK steel industry are well known. We are dealing with surging, and often unfairly traded, imports compounded by a strong pound and unhelpful policy costs.”