Unite steelworkers suspend Tata industrial action

A planned strike by workers at steel giant Tata over job losses has been suspended.

Unite members have taken industrial action, including banning overtime work, and were due to go on general strike from next Monday.

The union is embroiled in a dispute with the company over plans to close two blast furnaces at its factory in Port Talbot, south Wales, and switch to a greener way of producing steel that requires fewer workers.

The union said the current protest action and the strike planned for next week have been suspended.

Community and GMB unions are also demanding that Tata change its plans but are not calling for a strike.

“Tata has confirmed that if the strike is called off, it is ready to resume talks on a potential MOU (memorandum of understanding) through the Multi-Union Steel Committee, chaired by Community.

“The truth is that Tata never backed down from these talks, and at our last meeting on May 22, all trade unions agreed to end the negotiations and present the results to our members.

“The community would welcome the resumption of these discussions, but we regret that no progress has been made since May 22.”

The first blast furnace is scheduled to be shut down on Thursday, and the second one at the end of September.