Government urged to save UK steel industry

The UK government has been urged by the unions to take action and save the British steel industry, after the sector suffered another major blow this month.

Earlier in October, the SSI steel plant in Redcar, Teeside, was forced to shut its doors, leading to 1,700 workers losing their job, as an industry that employed over 200,000 four decades ago now counts only 30,000 staff.

Speaking ahead of a summit involving business leaders and ministers, Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community union, said the government should have done more to save Redcar plant.

"The summit must not be a talking shop," he said.

"There is a case for urgent, short-term action to help create a level-playing field for UK steel producers."

Tony Burke, Unite's assistant general secretary, echoed Rickhuss' words, adding the government must make steel the core of its industrial strategy over the next couple of years or else it runs the risk of more job cuts.

"The steel industry is at crisis point," he said.

"Unless the government pursues an industrial strategy with a 'steel heart' then sound-bites like 'Northern Powerhouse' and 'March of the Makers' will be nothing more than empty rhetoric for communities who rely on skilled jobs in steel and manufacturing."