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| Unions confirm action over Corus | Unions confirm action over Corus |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Union leaders have stepped up warnings of industrial action to try to save jobs at the Corus plant on Teesside. | Union leaders have stepped up warnings of industrial action to try to save jobs at the Corus plant on Teesside. |
| The plant is to be partially mothballed later and 1,600 workers face losing their jobs. | |
| Business Secretary Lord Mandelson visited the steel plant in Redcar on Thursday and pledged the government would do all it could to save it. | Business Secretary Lord Mandelson visited the steel plant in Redcar on Thursday and pledged the government would do all it could to save it. |
| The Community union confirmed moves to ballot its members, while the GMB union announced it was considering action. | The Community union confirmed moves to ballot its members, while the GMB union announced it was considering action. |
| Corus confirmed it would start mothballing the Teesside Cast Products site in Redcar, blaming an international consortium for pulling out of a contract halfway through a 10-year deal. | |
| After meeting union representatives, Corus management and Redcar Labour MP Vera Baird on Thursday, Lord Mandelson told workers the government was "fully behind" them. | After meeting union representatives, Corus management and Redcar Labour MP Vera Baird on Thursday, Lord Mandelson told workers the government was "fully behind" them. |
| Before a meeting of the Cabinet in Durham, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "I understand the frustration that people feel. There are wonderful workers at Corus. | Before a meeting of the Cabinet in Durham, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "I understand the frustration that people feel. There are wonderful workers at Corus. |
| "This is a good company, this is not a company that should be going under, but we have a problem." | "This is a good company, this is not a company that should be going under, but we have a problem." |
| We need an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister and for him to step in and take charge. Keith Hazlewood, GMB | We need an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister and for him to step in and take charge. Keith Hazlewood, GMB |
| He blamed falling global demand for steel, decreasing prices and, in particular, the international consortium that pulled out of a deal to buy the plant's output. | He blamed falling global demand for steel, decreasing prices and, in particular, the international consortium that pulled out of a deal to buy the plant's output. |
| A "credible" consortium was said to be considering an 11th-hour bid for Redcar and there were suggestions that at least two companies were interested in a possible sale. | A "credible" consortium was said to be considering an 11th-hour bid for Redcar and there were suggestions that at least two companies were interested in a possible sale. |
| Keith Hazlewood, of the GMB, said he had written to the the union's general secretary seeking permission to ballot members of the steel industry. | Keith Hazlewood, of the GMB, said he had written to the the union's general secretary seeking permission to ballot members of the steel industry. |
| He said "Corus and the government need to be more pro-active in examining the possible deals on the table to keep this plant open. | He said "Corus and the government need to be more pro-active in examining the possible deals on the table to keep this plant open. |
| "We need an urgent meeting with the prime minister and for him to step in and take charge." | "We need an urgent meeting with the prime minister and for him to step in and take charge." |
| Unite's national officer Terry Pye said the mothballing of the plant was a "disgraceful charade". | Unite's national officer Terry Pye said the mothballing of the plant was a "disgraceful charade". |
| He said: "We are aware that serious offers have been made to Corus that would allow production to remain at the plant, but the management has dismissed them all out of hand." | He said: "We are aware that serious offers have been made to Corus that would allow production to remain at the plant, but the management has dismissed them all out of hand." |
| Michael Leahy, leader of the Community trade union, said Tata Corus had "a moral and social responsibility" to the workforce and to Teesside. | Michael Leahy, leader of the Community trade union, said Tata Corus had "a moral and social responsibility" to the workforce and to Teesside. |
| A Corus spokesman said: "Corus's position remains unchanged. This is a mothballing, not a permanent closure. TCP will be kept ready for a restart. Corus remains open to credible offers for TCP." | A Corus spokesman said: "Corus's position remains unchanged. This is a mothballing, not a permanent closure. TCP will be kept ready for a restart. Corus remains open to credible offers for TCP." |