Tata Steel UK, a subsidiary of India-based steelmaker Tata Steel Limited, has rejected a trade union plan aimed at keeping blast furnaces at the Port Talbot plant in Wales operating and securing up to 3,000 jobs, according to news reports. The company is continuing its plan to decarbonize the Port Talbot plant by shutting down the furnaces and the first job losses are expected to begin from April this year.
In November last year, Tata Steel UK delayed its announcement of layoffs amid objections from unions, as SteelOrbis previously reported.
The UK government, which has agreed to provide funding of £500 million for a new electric arc furnace for green steel production at the plant, stated that the funding will transform the plant and protect thousands of jobs, while the trade unions evaluate the transition as “a crushing blow” for both employees and the UK steel industry.
