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| Steel furnace restart 'elation' | Steel furnace restart 'elation' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The decision to restart a blast furnace mothballed at a south Wales steel plant due to falling demand has been welcomed as a "vote of confidence". | |
| Corus is resuming production at the No 4 furnace in Port Talbot to "take advantage of business opportunities". | Corus is resuming production at the No 4 furnace in Port Talbot to "take advantage of business opportunities". |
| Neath Port Talbot county councillor Anthony Taylor, a Corus steelworker, said people in the town were "elated" by the news. | Neath Port Talbot county councillor Anthony Taylor, a Corus steelworker, said people in the town were "elated" by the news. |
| But he said they were also realistic that it was only the start of recovery. | But he said they were also realistic that it was only the start of recovery. |
| Corus, a subsidiary of India's Tata Steel, shut down the furnace last December alongside one in Scunthorpe and another in Holland. | Corus, a subsidiary of India's Tata Steel, shut down the furnace last December alongside one in Scunthorpe and another in Holland. |
| Restarting the Port Talbot furnace follows the announcement last month that Corus is restarting production at the Llanwern strip mill at Newport, because of improving business. | Restarting the Port Talbot furnace follows the announcement last month that Corus is restarting production at the Llanwern strip mill at Newport, because of improving business. |
| We know there's tough times still around the corner - we have just got to knuckle down and work hard Steelworker and county councillor Anthony Taylor | We know there's tough times still around the corner - we have just got to knuckle down and work hard Steelworker and county councillor Anthony Taylor |
| "The reopening will give Corus's UK strip products business greater operational flexibility, improving customer service and shortening lead times," a Corus spokesman said. | "The reopening will give Corus's UK strip products business greater operational flexibility, improving customer service and shortening lead times," a Corus spokesman said. |
| "It will also help the company take advantage of business opportunities it would like to respond to." | "It will also help the company take advantage of business opportunities it would like to respond to." |
| Mr Taylor, a blast furnace process operator at the plant, said: "It's great news. It's a vote of confidence in the plant, and a boost for the town. | Mr Taylor, a blast furnace process operator at the plant, said: "It's great news. It's a vote of confidence in the plant, and a boost for the town. |
| "There's been a lot of uncertainty at the plant because of the idling of No 4. This reopening is an encouraging sign for the steel industry." | "There's been a lot of uncertainty at the plant because of the idling of No 4. This reopening is an encouraging sign for the steel industry." |
| But he added that steelworkers and locals were more realistic than to believe that this was a firm sign of recovery. | But he added that steelworkers and locals were more realistic than to believe that this was a firm sign of recovery. |
| "We know there's tough times still around the corner. We have just got to knuckle down and work hard," he said. | "We know there's tough times still around the corner. We have just got to knuckle down and work hard," he said. |
| Belinda Norman, who earlier this year made a film for BBC One's Panorama about the future of the steel industry - focusing on her home town of Port Talbot - also said restarting the blast furnace was excellent news. | Belinda Norman, who earlier this year made a film for BBC One's Panorama about the future of the steel industry - focusing on her home town of Port Talbot - also said restarting the blast furnace was excellent news. |
| 'Step forward' | 'Step forward' |
| She said when the furnace was mothballed last December it led to fears about the long-term future of the plant. | She said when the furnace was mothballed last December it led to fears about the long-term future of the plant. |
| "There have been a lot of rumours," she said. | "There have been a lot of rumours," she said. |
| "This is really welcome news because I'm sure it will give a lot of encouragement to the men working there. | "This is really welcome news because I'm sure it will give a lot of encouragement to the men working there. |
| "It's definitely a step forward." | "It's definitely a step forward." |
| Meanwhile, the Community Union said the restart was good news but it would not distract steelworkers from what they saw as threats to their terms and conditions. | Meanwhile, the Community Union said the restart was good news but it would not distract steelworkers from what they saw as threats to their terms and conditions. |
| Unions at the steel giant have called a one-day national conference for 17 September to discuss the current situation amid what is said were increasingly tense relations with the firm. | Unions at the steel giant have called a one-day national conference for 17 September to discuss the current situation amid what is said were increasingly tense relations with the firm. |