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| ‘Steel runs through the veins’: Teesside suffering profound loss of identity | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Peter Nelson, 56, recently signed on for the first time. A machinist at an engineering firm in Redcar, he was one of thousands who lost their jobs following the collapse of the town’s steel industry. | Peter Nelson, 56, recently signed on for the first time. A machinist at an engineering firm in Redcar, he was one of thousands who lost their jobs following the collapse of the town’s steel industry. |
| Clutching a list of vacancies outside the fourth jobs fair arranged to help those made redundant back into work, Nelson explains he has applied for 100 jobs since losing his job three months ago. Struggling to contain his emotions, he says: “I am very scared at the moment. My house will probably go up for sale.” | Clutching a list of vacancies outside the fourth jobs fair arranged to help those made redundant back into work, Nelson explains he has applied for 100 jobs since losing his job three months ago. Struggling to contain his emotions, he says: “I am very scared at the moment. My house will probably go up for sale.” |
| It’s now more than six months since Redcar’s blast furnace went cold, drawing the curtain on a century of steel-making in the town. The experience of the town since will make grim reading for the thousands of steelworkers in Port Talbot whose jobs are now on the line. | It’s now more than six months since Redcar’s blast furnace went cold, drawing the curtain on a century of steel-making in the town. The experience of the town since will make grim reading for the thousands of steelworkers in Port Talbot whose jobs are now on the line. |
| Despite a spirited local campaign to save the Redcar plant when owners SSI UK went into liquidation, and pleas to government to step in and secure its short-term viability until a buyer could be found, at least 3,000 workers from the plant and the supply chain suddenly lost their jobs. | Despite a spirited local campaign to save the Redcar plant when owners SSI UK went into liquidation, and pleas to government to step in and secure its short-term viability until a buyer could be found, at least 3,000 workers from the plant and the supply chain suddenly lost their jobs. |
| Related: The government must save UK steel – or pay the price for years to come | Deborah Orr | Related: The government must save UK steel – or pay the price for years to come | Deborah Orr |
| As the head of the taskforce established to deal with the fall-out put it, “steel runs through the veins” of people on Teesside, and the loss of identity is profound. And the seismic economic shock caused in the area, where similarly well-paid jobs are in short supply and the buoyancy of local businesses often relied on the steelworks, is only just beginning to be fully understood. | As the head of the taskforce established to deal with the fall-out put it, “steel runs through the veins” of people on Teesside, and the loss of identity is profound. And the seismic economic shock caused in the area, where similarly well-paid jobs are in short supply and the buoyancy of local businesses often relied on the steelworks, is only just beginning to be fully understood. |
| The Redcar constituency experienced the second highest increase in unemployment in England last year – up 16.2%. Figures from the SSI taskforce say 1,384 workers have so far moved off benefit into full-time work or training – but no data yet exists on the split between the two. Nearly 700 are still claiming benefits, not including those who may have signed off and made a new claim since. Over 400 have made no claim at all. | The Redcar constituency experienced the second highest increase in unemployment in England last year – up 16.2%. Figures from the SSI taskforce say 1,384 workers have so far moved off benefit into full-time work or training – but no data yet exists on the split between the two. Nearly 700 are still claiming benefits, not including those who may have signed off and made a new claim since. Over 400 have made no claim at all. |
| “We already had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country,” said Anna Turley, Labour MP for Redcar. “It’s not London, Manchester or Leeds or somewhere you can just absorb these jobs. This is a foundation industry, and the major employer in the region, and you can’t just recreate and replace those jobs overnight, or suddenly expect people tobecome entrepreneurs,.” | “We already had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country,” said Anna Turley, Labour MP for Redcar. “It’s not London, Manchester or Leeds or somewhere you can just absorb these jobs. This is a foundation industry, and the major employer in the region, and you can’t just recreate and replace those jobs overnight, or suddenly expect people tobecome entrepreneurs,.” |
| Former steelworkers have been turning up at foodbanks. The SSI fund, set up from £50m of government money to administer training and support services, has made grants of more than £300,000 to help the most cash-strapped keep up to date with rent or mortgage payments, and even pay for food and heating. | Former steelworkers have been turning up at foodbanks. The SSI fund, set up from £50m of government money to administer training and support services, has made grants of more than £300,000 to help the most cash-strapped keep up to date with rent or mortgage payments, and even pay for food and heating. |
| The SSI fund is also creating jobs and retraining ex-steelworkers. Schemes which subsidise employers taking on former steelworkers or assist firms in the supply chain have created or safeguarded 796 jobs, many in the area’s chemicals industry, and in manufacturing and engineering. Retraining course places at local colleges have been granted in areas as diverse as health and safety, industrial robotics, offshore survival and various driving roles. | The SSI fund is also creating jobs and retraining ex-steelworkers. Schemes which subsidise employers taking on former steelworkers or assist firms in the supply chain have created or safeguarded 796 jobs, many in the area’s chemicals industry, and in manufacturing and engineering. Retraining course places at local colleges have been granted in areas as diverse as health and safety, industrial robotics, offshore survival and various driving roles. |
| Funding has also been doubled to help redundant steelworkers set up their own businesses. Seventy-one have so far been approved, with more likely to follow. | Funding has also been doubled to help redundant steelworkers set up their own businesses. Seventy-one have so far been approved, with more likely to follow. |
| Dan Wilcox, 53, was awarded £10,000 to help establish an LGV driving instruction business, which now employs four other ex-steelworkers. He also teaches LGV classroom-based courses, which attracts scores of his ex-workmates. “Some of these guys who had been in there for years, who had never done anything but be a steelworker, it was devastating for them. | Dan Wilcox, 53, was awarded £10,000 to help establish an LGV driving instruction business, which now employs four other ex-steelworkers. He also teaches LGV classroom-based courses, which attracts scores of his ex-workmates. “Some of these guys who had been in there for years, who had never done anything but be a steelworker, it was devastating for them. |
| It’s just tragic really to see the blast furnace standing over the town as a sort of sorry symbol of loss | It’s just tragic really to see the blast furnace standing over the town as a sort of sorry symbol of loss |
| “Their chins are on the floor, they don’t know where to turn, and it gives me immense pride and satisfaction when I see the lads who have already gone out now being re-trained by us going back into work and bringing an income in.” | “Their chins are on the floor, they don’t know where to turn, and it gives me immense pride and satisfaction when I see the lads who have already gone out now being re-trained by us going back into work and bringing an income in.” |
| But tales of fruitless job searches and pared down salaries are more commonplace. Mike Gilbert, 52, worked at the steelworks for 31 years. He has recently been employed as a trainee bus driver after months of searching for a job. “We’ve had to sell our house. We just couldn’t afford the mortgage,” he said. | But tales of fruitless job searches and pared down salaries are more commonplace. Mike Gilbert, 52, worked at the steelworks for 31 years. He has recently been employed as a trainee bus driver after months of searching for a job. “We’ve had to sell our house. We just couldn’t afford the mortgage,” he said. |
| His new salary is less than half the £2,200 a month he earned at SSI. But it is typical of many of the jobs many steelworkers are now taking. Taking such big cuts in income is difficult, as Paul Warren, from Community trade union, who sits on the SSI taskforce, explains. “There weren’t many qualifications you needed to be a production steelworker but it was the job that you did. | His new salary is less than half the £2,200 a month he earned at SSI. But it is typical of many of the jobs many steelworkers are now taking. Taking such big cuts in income is difficult, as Paul Warren, from Community trade union, who sits on the SSI taskforce, explains. “There weren’t many qualifications you needed to be a production steelworker but it was the job that you did. |
| We were probably a bit unique in the area. A bit like the coalminers were in their day. Gritty, dirty, grimy, you got paid for what you did rather than what you know.” He says whereas production operators would earn between £30,000-33,000 at the steelworks, similar labouring jobs elsewhere only offer £16,000-22,000. “That’s the hardship and what we have to adjust to. Some people are finding it difficult, there’s no doubt about it.” | We were probably a bit unique in the area. A bit like the coalminers were in their day. Gritty, dirty, grimy, you got paid for what you did rather than what you know.” He says whereas production operators would earn between £30,000-33,000 at the steelworks, similar labouring jobs elsewhere only offer £16,000-22,000. “That’s the hardship and what we have to adjust to. Some people are finding it difficult, there’s no doubt about it.” |
| Many others have been forced to move away to find work – some to London, Wales or even abroad. Jamie, 26, who spoke tothe Guardian during the closure process, is still out of work, despite applying for 50 jobs a week. He recently had an interview for a job in the nuclear industry in Peterborough, one of around 15 callbacks he has had, with only one in the north-east. | Many others have been forced to move away to find work – some to London, Wales or even abroad. Jamie, 26, who spoke tothe Guardian during the closure process, is still out of work, despite applying for 50 jobs a week. He recently had an interview for a job in the nuclear industry in Peterborough, one of around 15 callbacks he has had, with only one in the north-east. |
| As his family’s main earner previously, with a disabled brother and a mother who has reduced her hours at work for health reasons, he too is feeling the financial pinch. “The mortgage is now in arrears, I’ve probably got enough to pay my car this month and that’s about it to be honest,” he said. | As his family’s main earner previously, with a disabled brother and a mother who has reduced her hours at work for health reasons, he too is feeling the financial pinch. “The mortgage is now in arrears, I’ve probably got enough to pay my car this month and that’s about it to be honest,” he said. |
| Amanda Skelton, chief executive of Redcar and Cleveland borough council and chair of the SSI taskforce, says it is important now to look forward. “But what we’re trying to do at the taskforce is to focus on the future and to encourage people not to lose hope. We have got to strengthen and diversify our economy. We’ve got to use this opportunity of having government support at the moment to make that happen so that we are more sustainable in the future.” | Amanda Skelton, chief executive of Redcar and Cleveland borough council and chair of the SSI taskforce, says it is important now to look forward. “But what we’re trying to do at the taskforce is to focus on the future and to encourage people not to lose hope. We have got to strengthen and diversify our economy. We’ve got to use this opportunity of having government support at the moment to make that happen so that we are more sustainable in the future.” |
| In addition to the funding for the SSI taskforce, the government appointed Lord Heseltine to chair an inward investment programme for Teesside, and a mayoral development corporation – the first of its kind outside London – will act as a vehicle to devolve regeneration and business support powers to the region and regenerate the steelworks site. | In addition to the funding for the SSI taskforce, the government appointed Lord Heseltine to chair an inward investment programme for Teesside, and a mayoral development corporation – the first of its kind outside London – will act as a vehicle to devolve regeneration and business support powers to the region and regenerate the steelworks site. |
| Turley wants to find a future for the site, situated on prime industrial land next to a deepwater port, which she claims is costing £200,000 a month to maintain. “It’s just tragic really to see the blast furnace standing over the town as a sort of sorry symbol of loss and decline and the sooner we can move to do something on that site to bring jobs and investment and hope the better.” | Turley wants to find a future for the site, situated on prime industrial land next to a deepwater port, which she claims is costing £200,000 a month to maintain. “It’s just tragic really to see the blast furnace standing over the town as a sort of sorry symbol of loss and decline and the sooner we can move to do something on that site to bring jobs and investment and hope the better.” |
| “The priority for me is it creates good, skilled, secure jobs, it’s an industry for the future and it builds on our existing strengths, skills and heritage.” | “The priority for me is it creates good, skilled, secure jobs, it’s an industry for the future and it builds on our existing strengths, skills and heritage.” |