Stop the slaughter in the Steel Industry - Don’t let Tata and Caparo destroy our future!

We pledge solidarity with the Scunthorpe steel workers.

TRADE unionists have pledged solidarity to support steelworkers at Tata in Scunthorpe in their fight against 900 proposed job losses. A further 270 will be axed in Scotland. That's on top of 720 jobs to go at Rotherham, the Redcar closure and up to 1800 workers now threatened at Caparo. Leading trade union figures from the region, including Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham TUCs have signed a statement to "Stop the jobs slaughter." Those signing include Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh, Martin Mayer, secretary of Sheffield TUC and a Unite union NEC member, Bob Jeffery Pres Sheffield TUC, Brian Steele, sec of Barnsley TUC, Unison council convenor in Barnsley and Rotherham councillor and Pat Keenan, ex-steelworker and chair of Rotherham TUC, Dave Gibson, chair Barnsley TUC, Neil Carbutt, sec S Yorks FBU, Wayne Gilmore, Unite sec Superdrug, plus Care UK workers who led a long battle over privatisation, Simon Murch and toby Mallinson, joint divisional secs Sheffield NUT, Rob Williams, PCS regional chair Yorks and Humber, Brian Clark, branch sec York UCATT and vice-pres York TUC, Esther Barton, S Yorks NAPO co convenor, Brian Bailey Unite NE/GEO/1 (Sheffield East), Julia Armstrong, chair South Yorks NUJ.

The statement reads: "Steel making in the UK faces total annihilation. The decision by Tata Steel to announce the loss of 1000 jobs at its Scunthorpe plant comes just one day after the Rotherham, "Steel Summit," of Unions, Ministers and employers met to discuss the support needed by the Steel Industry in the UK.

"The Government's ‘free market’ industrial policy and talk of a, "Northern Powerhouse," lies in tatters. Yet, the governments of France and Italy have intervened directly to protect steel making and manufacturing industry, but in the UK we are told there are no, "magic bullets!" We believe that the re-nationalisation of steel making in the UK to defend manufacturing industry must now be a priority before it is too late!

"We believe that now is the time to take a stand and to fight; for the industry and for future generations. We must not allow the steel industry to go the way of the mining industry in the northern UK; of decimated communities and of mass unemployment. If we fight, we can win - we can force a change of direction and can stop the destruction of jobs and the industrial vandalism of an entire industry.

"There is a mood for change in the UK. The election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party shows that there is a desire for an alternative relentless austerity. The madness of the free-market which would send a strategically vital industry to the wall must be stopped.

"We, the undersigned, call on all in our Trade Unions, our parties and in our movement to unite in support of the Scunthorpe steel workers. We pledge to do all that we are able to deliver all solidarity and support to our brothers and sisters at TATA in any action they may take to defend their jobs, their communities and their industry."

Sign here: