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Tata Steel: 1,000 UK jobs to go amid worldwide cuts | Tata Steel: 1,000 UK jobs to go amid worldwide cuts |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Tata Steel has announced it expects to cut 1,000 jobs across the UK as part of the company's restructuring plans. | Tata Steel has announced it expects to cut 1,000 jobs across the UK as part of the company's restructuring plans. |
Two thirds of the job losses will be management and office-based roles, Tata said. | Two thirds of the job losses will be management and office-based roles, Tata said. |
In the Netherlands 1,600 positions are also set to go, with 350 others cut elsewhere in the world. | In the Netherlands 1,600 positions are also set to go, with 350 others cut elsewhere in the world. |
Tata Steel's Europe CEO, Henrik Adam, said the company "cannot afford to stand still" as "the world around us is changing fast and we have to adapt". | Tata Steel's Europe CEO, Henrik Adam, said the company "cannot afford to stand still" as "the world around us is changing fast and we have to adapt". |
Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community union which represents workers in the steel industry, said Tata's proposals had "no credibility" and had been poorly timed. | Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community union which represents workers in the steel industry, said Tata's proposals had "no credibility" and had been poorly timed. |
"I think the way the company have handled this has been atrocious, it's never a good time but having this announcement hit us a few weeks before Christmas is absolutely scandalous. | "I think the way the company have handled this has been atrocious, it's never a good time but having this announcement hit us a few weeks before Christmas is absolutely scandalous. |
"There was no need for this announcement at all at this stage." | "There was no need for this announcement at all at this stage." |
He told BBC Radio Wales the plans had "no credibility" for the unions and Tata had been told to "go away, think again, and come back with a clear strategy, come back with a strategy for the future". | He told BBC Radio Wales the plans had "no credibility" for the unions and Tata had been told to "go away, think again, and come back with a clear strategy, come back with a strategy for the future". |
"We want to know about investment, what the future holds and all they've done is come up with this awful proposal just to cut jobs. | "We want to know about investment, what the future holds and all they've done is come up with this awful proposal just to cut jobs. |
Tata has one steelmaking site and five other facilities in Wales. | Tata has one steelmaking site and five other facilities in Wales. |
Port Talbot employs 4,000 workers - nearly half of Tata's UK workforce - but the firm is yet to specify which UK locations will suffer the cuts. | Port Talbot employs 4,000 workers - nearly half of Tata's UK workforce - but the firm is yet to specify which UK locations will suffer the cuts. |
Mr Rickhuss said he understood most of the jobs at risk would be "white collar and managerial jobs". | Mr Rickhuss said he understood most of the jobs at risk would be "white collar and managerial jobs". |
The firm first announced plans to cut 3,000 jobs across its European business last week, in a bid to come to terms with a "severe" international steel market. | The firm first announced plans to cut 3,000 jobs across its European business last week, in a bid to come to terms with a "severe" international steel market. |
In a bid to improve financial performance, the company also expects to increase its sales of higher-value steels, optimise production processes and reduce its procurement costs. | In a bid to improve financial performance, the company also expects to increase its sales of higher-value steels, optimise production processes and reduce its procurement costs. |
Community said the job cuts were "a consequence of management failure to have a Plan B following the collapsed of the joint venture with Thyssenkrupp". | Community said the job cuts were "a consequence of management failure to have a Plan B following the collapsed of the joint venture with Thyssenkrupp". |
Economy Minister Ken Skates said: "This will understandably be a worrying time for Tata Steel employees and their families in Wales. | Economy Minister Ken Skates said: "This will understandably be a worrying time for Tata Steel employees and their families in Wales. |
"Tata Steel has previously confirmed that they intend to seek to avoid compulsory redundancies and I will be impressing on the company the importance of standing by this commitment." | "Tata Steel has previously confirmed that they intend to seek to avoid compulsory redundancies and I will be impressing on the company the importance of standing by this commitment." |
BBC reporter Kathy Peart at the Tata plant in Port Talbot | BBC reporter Kathy Peart at the Tata plant in Port Talbot |
It appears to be business as usual. | It appears to be business as usual. |
Workers have been arriving for their shifts this morning with others leaving from the night shift. | Workers have been arriving for their shifts this morning with others leaving from the night shift. |
But, of course, it is far from a normal day here with Tata, once again, hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons. | But, of course, it is far from a normal day here with Tata, once again, hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons. |
Obviously there are a lot of questions still to be answered, but the main one for most workers and their families in the run-up to Christmas is where those 1,000 jobs in the UK will be lost. | Obviously there are a lot of questions still to be answered, but the main one for most workers and their families in the run-up to Christmas is where those 1,000 jobs in the UK will be lost. |
Bethan Sayed, Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, said: "The next time Tata Steel make an announcement on potential job losses, I think everyone would prefer it come with more precise information." | Bethan Sayed, Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, said: "The next time Tata Steel make an announcement on potential job losses, I think everyone would prefer it come with more precise information." |
David Rees, Labour AM for Aberavon, said the "uncertainty" of not knowing where the UK roles would be cut "does not help steelworkers, their families and the wider community". | David Rees, Labour AM for Aberavon, said the "uncertainty" of not knowing where the UK roles would be cut "does not help steelworkers, their families and the wider community". |
Suzy Davies, Conservative AM for South Wales West, said it was "extremely distressing for all of the Port Talbot Tata Steel workers and their families". | Suzy Davies, Conservative AM for South Wales West, said it was "extremely distressing for all of the Port Talbot Tata Steel workers and their families". |
Tata employs about 20,000 people worldwide and is owned by India's Tata. | Tata employs about 20,000 people worldwide and is owned by India's Tata. |
Tata's UK plants were put up for sale in March 2016, leading to months of uncertainty. | Tata's UK plants were put up for sale in March 2016, leading to months of uncertainty. |
Competition concerns | |
However, the move was put on hold and a 10-year £1bn investment plan was announced for the UK's biggest steelworks at Port Talbot - if market conditions allowed - along with a commitment to try to avoid compulsory job losses. | However, the move was put on hold and a 10-year £1bn investment plan was announced for the UK's biggest steelworks at Port Talbot - if market conditions allowed - along with a commitment to try to avoid compulsory job losses. |
Tata explored merger options with Thyssenkrupp over the next two years and a deal was finally agreed in the summer of 2018. | Tata explored merger options with Thyssenkrupp over the next two years and a deal was finally agreed in the summer of 2018. |
But competition concerns emerged over creating what would be Europe's second biggest steelmaker and the deal fell through. | But competition concerns emerged over creating what would be Europe's second biggest steelmaker and the deal fell through. |
The European Commission, which blocked the merger, said the companies "did not offer adequate remedies" to pricing and competition concerns. | The European Commission, which blocked the merger, said the companies "did not offer adequate remedies" to pricing and competition concerns. |