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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/28/steel-workers-marchparliament-sajid-javid-talks-eu-redcar-tata
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| Steelworkers march on parliament as Sajid Javid pledges talks with EU | Steelworkers march on parliament as Sajid Javid pledges talks with EU |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The business secretary is holding talks with European Union officials about the steel crisis, as workers protest in Westminster on the same day as a parliamentary debate on the industry’s plight. | |
| Sajid Javid has called for an emergency EU meeting on the steel industry amid increasing cdemands for the government to intervene to prevent plant closures. He will discuss international trading of steel with the EU’s trade commissioner, Cecilia Malmström, and meet other officials. | |
| Javid’s trip coincides with an opposition day debate about the UK’s steel sector – which has been rocked by plant shutdowns and thousands of job losses. Steelworkers from northern England, the Midlands and Wales gathered outside parliament before meeting MPs ahead of the debate. | |
| The steel industry, unions and Labour MPs have accused Javid of inaction following the indefinite closure of the Redcar steel mill on Teesside, the administration of Caparo industries and the mothballing of Tata Steel mills in Scunthorpe and Scotland. | |
| John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, told the steelworkers outside parliament that Javid was a “waste of space” who was “passing through” in the hope of higher office. | |
| “He’s told what’s needed and then completely ignores it, but there hasn’t been a single day when steel hasn’t been raised by us,” McDonnell said. “We’re up against it. They hold all the cards in their hands but we have got them to do a U-turn – and I’m an expert in U-turns.” | |
| The industry has been battered by falling steel prices, made worse by alleged dumping of cheap steel in Europe by China, high energy costs and the strength of the pound making exports expensive. | The industry has been battered by falling steel prices, made worse by alleged dumping of cheap steel in Europe by China, high energy costs and the strength of the pound making exports expensive. |
| The deputy head of China’s iron and steel association warned that demand was collapsing and losses were mounting for the world’s biggest steel industry, suggesting no let-up in efforts to offload Chinese steel overseas. | |
| “Production cuts are slower than the contraction in demand, therefore oversupply is worsening,” Zhu Jimin said, according to Bloomberg. “Steel mills are lowering prices in competition to get contracts.” | |
| More than 5,000 British steelworkers, or one in six in the industry, face losing their job and more closures will follow without urgent action, Javid’s critics say. | |
| Javid told MPs last week that the government was unable to dictate the price of steel or to get round EU restrictions on national governments supporting industries. But pressure has been building on the government to do something. | |
| He said: “I want to see steel top of the EU agenda. We cannot stand by while the steel industry across Europe, not just in the UK, faces such unprecedented challenges. There are no straightforward solutions to the complex global challenges, but the UK government wants to work with the EU and our European partners.” | |
| The Unite trade union called on the government to stop Chinese steel dumping, help with high energy costs and business rates and make sure UK steel was used in infrastructure projects. Unions last week attacked government pledges to help steelworkers find new jobs and support new businesses as woefully inadequate. | |
| Unite’s assistant general secretary, Tony Burke, said: “The approach by ministers so far has been to deal with the symptoms of the steel crisis, when what steel and manufacturing communities want is action that secures UK steelmaking and secures their futures. | Unite’s assistant general secretary, Tony Burke, said: “The approach by ministers so far has been to deal with the symptoms of the steel crisis, when what steel and manufacturing communities want is action that secures UK steelmaking and secures their futures. |
| “Instead of intervening to keep the coke ovens burning at Redcar, ministers sat on their hands and allowed a key industrial asset to close for ever, taking with it the livelihoods of thousands of people.” | |
| Javid said he would discuss the steel sector and industrial strategy with the internal market commissioner, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, and the EU vice-president, Jyrki Katainen. He has also spoken to the competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, about speeding up approval of the government’s scheme to compensate energy intensive industries. | Javid said he would discuss the steel sector and industrial strategy with the internal market commissioner, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, and the EU vice-president, Jyrki Katainen. He has also spoken to the competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, about speeding up approval of the government’s scheme to compensate energy intensive industries. |
| Thecrisis escalated last week when China’s President Xi Jinping visited the UK. Industry figures accused the government of failing to raise Chinese dumping forcefully with Xi. | Thecrisis escalated last week when China’s President Xi Jinping visited the UK. Industry figures accused the government of failing to raise Chinese dumping forcefully with Xi. |
| Anna Soubry, the small business, industry and enterprise minister, told a committee of MPs on Tuesday the government would respond to industry demands for more support. | Anna Soubry, the small business, industry and enterprise minister, told a committee of MPs on Tuesday the government would respond to industry demands for more support. |