Workers Uniting Demands Help For Corus

US and British governments urged to save Corus jobs

Global union Workers Uniting have demanded more government intervention to support the ailing British steel industry following the threat to axe jobs at the Corus plant on Teesside.

At the beginning of the month Corus announced it would mothball its slab steel plant in Redcar by the end of January with the loss of 1,700 skilled jobs.

At a conference in Geneva of Workers Uniting - the global union between Unite and the United Steelworkers there were demands for more government intervention to support the steel industry in Britain, Canada and the US.

Globalisation is acting against national interests, Unite national officer Terry Pye told delegates, and the government must "actively intervene" to support industry, skills and jobs.

"The tragic news that 1,700 steelworkers face redundancy at Corus in the UK is proof why the UK government should do everything possible to keep a steel making infrastructure in Teesside and preserve the valuable skills of the workforce," Terry said.

USW international vice-president Carol Landry said that domestic manufacturing strategies would go a long way to solving economic problems, protect quality jobs and "secure a brighter future for our world's middle class."

She urged the US and British governments for more action in creating and protecting jobs.

Les Bayliss, the Workers Uniting Group candidate for Unite General Secretary supported the call saying: "The steel industry is vital to the UK, US and Canadian economies. The demand for steel will return as the recession ends in the UK and USA and without the skilled workforce and the plants to make steel our economies will be uncompetitive. Other countries such as Germany have protected their steel industry. We expect our Governments to do the same! Once steelmills close they don't open up again and we just can't leave such an important industry to the so called free-market"