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| Steel crisis: Unions set to hold emergency talks | Steel crisis: Unions set to hold emergency talks |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Union leaders will meet to discuss the steel industry crisis later in an effort to save thousands of jobs. | Union leaders will meet to discuss the steel industry crisis later in an effort to save thousands of jobs. |
| Shop stewards from steelworks across the country will hold emergency talks in London to help prevent Tata Steel's Port Talbot plant from closing. | Shop stewards from steelworks across the country will hold emergency talks in London to help prevent Tata Steel's Port Talbot plant from closing. |
| The government has said it would offer financial support to help "clinch a buyer" for the business. | The government has said it would offer financial support to help "clinch a buyer" for the business. |
| Tycoon Sanjeev Gupta is understood to have had initial talks over a potential purchase of the south Wales plant. | Tycoon Sanjeev Gupta is understood to have had initial talks over a potential purchase of the south Wales plant. |
| There are also reports that an investment firm is interested in a buy-out of Tata's Scunthorpe operation. | There are also reports that an investment firm is interested in a buy-out of Tata's Scunthorpe operation. |
| The Daily Telegraph has reported that Marc and Nathaniel Meyohas, the brothers behind the Greybull investment firm, are ready to pour £400m into the struggling Lincolnshire plant, potentially saving about 9,000 jobs. | The Daily Telegraph has reported that Marc and Nathaniel Meyohas, the brothers behind the Greybull investment firm, are ready to pour £400m into the struggling Lincolnshire plant, potentially saving about 9,000 jobs. |
| Tata Steel announced last week it was selling its loss-making UK businesses and would close its plant at Port Talbot unless a buyer is found. | Tata Steel announced last week it was selling its loss-making UK businesses and would close its plant at Port Talbot unless a buyer is found. |
| The company directly employs 15,000 workers in the UK and supports thousands of others, across plants in Port Talbot, Rotherham, Corby and Shotton. | The company directly employs 15,000 workers in the UK and supports thousands of others, across plants in Port Talbot, Rotherham, Corby and Shotton. |
| UK steel crisis | UK steel crisis |
| What's going wrong with Britain's steel industry? | What's going wrong with Britain's steel industry? |
| Tata Steel UK: What are the options? | Tata Steel UK: What are the options? |
| Is China to blame for steel woes? | Is China to blame for steel woes? |
| Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said if the industry was "to be given a fighting chance then the government and Tata need to come clean on their intentions and prior discussions, because so far all we've had is more questions than answers. | Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said if the industry was "to be given a fighting chance then the government and Tata need to come clean on their intentions and prior discussions, because so far all we've had is more questions than answers. |
| "The apparent lack of urgency from Sajid Javid and absence of a clear plan from the government is disturbing for the tens of thousands whose livelihoods hang in the balance and deeply troubling for British Steel's 140,000 pensioners." | "The apparent lack of urgency from Sajid Javid and absence of a clear plan from the government is disturbing for the tens of thousands whose livelihoods hang in the balance and deeply troubling for British Steel's 140,000 pensioners." |
| Roy Rickhuss, leader of the Community union, added: "By now, no-one underestimates the scale of the challenge we face. We have an entire industry to save and not a lot of time to save it. | Roy Rickhuss, leader of the Community union, added: "By now, no-one underestimates the scale of the challenge we face. We have an entire industry to save and not a lot of time to save it. |
| "We must also ensure that we hold Tata to a commitment to be a responsible seller and honour its moral and social duties to UK steel communities." | "We must also ensure that we hold Tata to a commitment to be a responsible seller and honour its moral and social duties to UK steel communities." |
| Business minister Anna Soubry is due to visit Rotherham steelworks on Monday. | Business minister Anna Soubry is due to visit Rotherham steelworks on Monday. |
| Mr Gupta's commodities firm Liberty House has already saved several UK steelworks but BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said he wanted to discuss possible government help on energy costs and to replace Port Talbot's traditional blast furnaces with modern electric arc furnaces. | Mr Gupta's commodities firm Liberty House has already saved several UK steelworks but BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said he wanted to discuss possible government help on energy costs and to replace Port Talbot's traditional blast furnaces with modern electric arc furnaces. |
| On Sunday's Andrew Marr show, Business Secretary Sajid Javid said he would rule nothing out, but he maintained the government's view that nationalisation was not the answer to the crisis. | On Sunday's Andrew Marr show, Business Secretary Sajid Javid said he would rule nothing out, but he maintained the government's view that nationalisation was not the answer to the crisis. |
| Mr Javid signalled that ministers were working on plans to reduce energy costs and take on some of the pension liabilities to make a purchase more attractive to investors. | Mr Javid signalled that ministers were working on plans to reduce energy costs and take on some of the pension liabilities to make a purchase more attractive to investors. |
| He faced calls from Labour for his resignation after he disclosed he had been aware Tata had been meeting last week in Mumbai to discuss the future of its UK operations but chose to go ahead with a trip to Australia. | He faced calls from Labour for his resignation after he disclosed he had been aware Tata had been meeting last week in Mumbai to discuss the future of its UK operations but chose to go ahead with a trip to Australia. |
| Tata Steel has said there is "no fixed timeline" for the sale process but stressed that urgency is needed to avoid "a long period of uncertainty" for employees and customers. | Tata Steel has said there is "no fixed timeline" for the sale process but stressed that urgency is needed to avoid "a long period of uncertainty" for employees and customers. |
| Labour says the government should be prepared to take the Port Talbot plant - which Tata says is losing £1m a day - into public ownership to safeguard its future until a buyer can be found. | Labour says the government should be prepared to take the Port Talbot plant - which Tata says is losing £1m a day - into public ownership to safeguard its future until a buyer can be found. |
| Shadow chancellor John McDonnell suggested the government could maintain a stake in the plant after a sale. | Shadow chancellor John McDonnell suggested the government could maintain a stake in the plant after a sale. |
| He has also urged ministers to speed up infrastructure projects, such as HS2, to support the steel industry and encourage investment. | He has also urged ministers to speed up infrastructure projects, such as HS2, to support the steel industry and encourage investment. |
| Meanwhile, the Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones will face questions from assembly members over the steel crisis later in a hastily reconvened meeting. | |
| Andrew Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the cost of business rates - which are controlled locally by the Welsh government - had been "a constant thorn in the side of steel works", and called for Welsh ministers to take action. | |
| Responding, Welsh Economy Minister Edwina Hart, who is chairing a steel task force, said the Welsh government was willing to look at reducing business rates, but stressed UK-wide rules limited how much they could be varied. | |
| It was up to the UK government to take the lead on "fighting for steel" by stepping in with cash, including investment into plants and machinery, she added. | |
| Ministers have faced criticism for failing to take more action to prevent the "dumping" of cheap Chinese steel - selling it cheaply at a loss - seen as one of the key reasons for the problems in the UK steel industry. | Ministers have faced criticism for failing to take more action to prevent the "dumping" of cheap Chinese steel - selling it cheaply at a loss - seen as one of the key reasons for the problems in the UK steel industry. |