Tata Steel : Statement

A Tata Steel spokesperson said: "We are extremely disappointed by Unite's unilateral decision to call strike action.

"Our existing steelmaking assets are near the end of their life, are operationally unstable and causing unsustainable losses of £1 million a day. This is why preparations to close the blast furnaces and associated plants in Port Talbot are unchanged.

"However, if the safety and stability of our operations are put at risk by this action, we will be forced to accelerate those closure plans.

"After extensive negotiations with our unions we substantially improved our support offering for affected employees - the most generous package in our history. Rather than taking strike action, we would have expected Unite to put our improved offer to its members, as previously accepted by all unions, including Unite."

-ends-

Notes to editors:
Of the 4,500 Tata Steel employees in Port Talbot and Llanwern, 1,366 Unite members were balloted, 857 voted and of those 468 members voted for industrial action including strike action.

We have challenged the legality of Unite's ballot process on multiple occasions and our position is that its industrial action is unlawful.

Blast Furnace 5 is due to cease operations around the end of June, while the Port Talbot site's other blast furnace (No. 4) will close at the end of September. These are critical steps to secure the viability of Tata Steel's UK business which continues to lose more than £1m a day.

Tata Steel's £1.25 billion plan for a new electric arc furnace in Port Talbot will be the largest investment in this country's steel industry in decades, will secure the future of UK steelmaking and be a catalyst for the economic regeneration of south Wales.

It is also necessary to protect 5,000 jobs in Tata Steel's UK sites and thousands more in the existing supply chain. It will reduce the UK's carbon emissions by five million tonnes a year, equivalent to 1.5% of the country's direct CO₂ emissions.