Steel industry

'Challenges remain for the UK’s steel industry'

Steel worker
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Today’s announcement shows yet again that challenges remain for the UK’s steel industry and that is why we reiterate our call on government to meet with unions and employers in the industry to discuss action on the outstanding issues which we have been campaigning on for some time, such as energy costs, business rates and procurement. We will be sitting down with Liberty Steel to look at their plans in detail and examine the rationale behind these proposals. In the meantime, we recognise that the company has indicated its intention to achieve any reductions through voluntary redundancy – we will be holding them to that commitment.”

Roy RickhussGeneral secretary of the steelworkers’ union Community

BreakingLiberty Steel to axe jobs

Liberty Steel Group is planning to cut 355 jobs in south Yorkshire and south Wales after a review of its UK business in response to "challenging market conditions and a lingering reduction in demand for UK steel products".

Liberty Steel UK's chief executive Cornelius Louwrens, says: “Unfortunately, the steel industry in the UK is facing challenging conditions and we have made the difficult decision that there is a need to reduce the workforce at a handful of locations, in order to make them sustainable for the long-term."

A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Downing Street is "monitoring the situation closely".

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