Nationalisation NOT Devastation!
In the run up to christmas, Steel workers and residents remain on the edge of an economic and social precipice yet again!
Tactical differences on how to respond to Tata’s threat of a jobs slaughter have emerged between the steel unions. The Community union and GMB are advocating support for the Syndex consultancy firms plan, leading to several hundred ‘voluntary’ job losses, whilst Unite the union are opposing the Syndex plan claiming it’s a ‘strategy for job cuts’ which would ‘decimate the steel industry’!
Undoubtedly, these divisions are driven by the furious reaction of steel workers who had been confronted by Tata representatives with the closure of the two blast furnaces, ending ‘primary steel making’, the loss of up to 3000 job losses in the ‘heavy end’ and its replacement with an electric arc furnace, becoming essentially a big scrap metal operation, employing a few hundred workers.
Unions believe Tata wanted the closure of the furnaces by March 2024!
Despite on-going discussions, there should be no illusions now that Tata steel, or any other private corporation would be willing to finance the estimated £12 billion of investments necessary to retain the blast furnaces, decarbonised with new technology to save the environment and to save all the jobs in all the steelworks and surrounding communities.
Sharon Graham, the fighting General Secretary of Unite, is correct when she says – “Tata’s sole purpose is serving its shareholders, not UK steel communities”.
She adds that “Only by the government taking a stake in the company will the right choices be made for the UK’s economy”.
But why only take just a ‘stake’ of Tata steel?
If steel production is of such national and strategic importance to the UK economy, along with the thousands of jobs reliant on it, then the steel unions should be demanding that a future Labour government, guarantees the full nationalisation of steel, under democratic workers control and management with compensation paid only on the basis of need!
That essential demand has had the support of many steelworkers and local residents over the past few weeks on our Socialist Party campaigning stalls in Port Talbot.
Unite’s strategy of fighting to save all steel jobs and the retaining of virgin steel production should be fully supported, with a clear demand that such an objective can only be achieved by returning, what’s left of a run-down steel industry, back into public ownership and the Welsh Labour government should be taking the lead for this demand. Unite, alongside the other steel unions also urgently need to prepare for all forms of industrial action to defend UK steel and a mass, national demonstration in Port Talbot in the New Year would be a warning to Tata and the government that a this fightback has begun!
- No trust in Tata bosses!
- Re-invest in a UK green steel industry!
- Save every job for future generations!
Alec Thraves (Swansea Socialist Party & Vice President of Swansea Trades Council)
