Alec Thraves, Swansea Socialist Party and Swansea Trades Council
Tata’s threat to close down its UK steel operations must be met with united strike action from all of the steel unions.
Over the weekend, Rajesh Nair, Tata Steel CEO, has responded to Unite’s planned work to rule and overtime ban, due to start on 18 June, with a threatening letter to steelworkers if they take industrial action. Community and GMB have both also won strike ballots.
Tata’s bullying proposals include removing the enhanced redundancy terms, legally challenging Unite’s successful industrial ballot, bringing forward the closure of the Port Talbot blast furnaces and ultimately withdrawing from all its UK steel operations!
The misplaced strategy of the steel unions, including unfortunately Unite, who all opposed Swansea Trades Council’s motion for nationalisation at the recent TUC Cymru Congress in favour of “urging Tata to come back to the table with better alternatives for the future of Port Talbot’ steelworks”, has rapidly been shown to have been mistaken.
In a welcome and noticeable change of emphasis, Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, commented: “If Tata is not prepared to do the right thing, then an incoming Labour government must ensure it does! Tata’s actions show the fundamental problem with private multinational companies owning the UK’s foundation industries.”
Even though still not explicitly demanded, steelworkers will assume this comment means that Tata should be immediately nationalised by a ‘soon-to-be’ Labour government. Unite is demanding the renationalisation of the energy companies.
That demand must now urgently be placed on the shoulders of Sir Keir Starmer, alongside preparations to mobilise the whole trade union movement in solidarity with striking steelworkers to save their jobs, their plant and our communities! Should Tata attempt to bring forward the closure of the blast furnaces, militant action will be posed, such as an immediate stoppage and even occupation, backed up by an emergency demonstration outside the steelworks of the wider union movement and working-class communities.
