Day of action in Scunthorpe calling for more support for the steel industry
It follows concerns over possible job losses at British Steel in the town
Last updated 2nd Nov 2023
Steel campaigners in Scunthorpe are holding a day of action calling for the government to support the industry more..
The Unite union are asking politicians to invest a billion pounds a year over 12 years to aid a transition to 'green steel'.
There are concerns that up to two thousand jobs could be lost at British Steel.
Talks about possible Government support are said to be ongoing.
There's a constant worry from people and the steelworkers
We've spoken to Carl Wood from Unite the union about the issue.
He told us: "I was talking to the owner and his heritage was from steel - his father was in steel."
"He says if the steelworks goes it's not just the community but other businesses that will disappear - they've got no future."
"There's a constant worry from the people and the workers in the steelworks - they're always looking over their shoulders about what decisions are being made next and what is it's going to cost not just the industry but also the community as well. "
"There's going to be a transition to green steel where the UK can be the leaders in green steel."
There's a fear of what next?
"What we're asking is that there's no job losses with that so that they phase the workers into that plan."
"The community suffers - they suffer massively in terms of the businesses that are there - the supply chain involved in steel."
"There's a fear there of what's next?"
"That's what the workers are asking every single year because that decline has been massive over the years."
A government spokesperson told us it's working with the steel industry, including Scunthorpe-based British Steel, to secure a sustainable and competitive future for the sector.