Strike May Force UK’s Tata Steel Closures Next Week

Workers at the UK’s Tata Steel have been informed that the company is taking steps to potentially cease operations at much of the Port Talbot plant by July 7 due to a strike by the trade union Unite, Mark Palmer reported for BBC News.

Tata Steel can no longer ensure the availability of sufficient resources for safe and stable operations due to the impending strike. I Photo: Tata Steel

Initially, Tata Steel planned to shut one of the blast furnaces by the end of June and the second by September. However, due to the strike set to begin on July 8, the company can no longer ensure the availability of sufficient resources for safe and stable operations.

The Unite union said Tata's statement to shut or pause the blast furnaces three months earlier than planned is another threat and will not deter them.

The Welsh government stated it cannot and will not support the closure of both blast furnaces. Last week, the Unite union announced that about 1,500 workers would start an indefinite strike on July 8 over the company's plans to cut 2,800 jobs.

Onay Kasab, the national lead for Unite, mentioned that the union was due to discuss safety during the strike with the company. This strike marks Tata Steel’s first in 40 years.