Scunthorpe Steelworkers Head To Parliament
They're lobbying MPs as part of their campaign to save British steel.
Steelworkers from across the UK, including Scunthorpe, are heading to Parliament today to lobby MPs.
They will call on the government to stand up for the British steel industry as part of the Save Our Steel campaign which has now gathered over 20 thousand signatures.
It follows TATA's announcement of 1200 job losses - with 900 of the posts set to go at the Scunthorpe plant.
John Laurens, Matthew Cook and Tony Gosling who all work at the Scunthorpe steelworks. They're among dozens heading to Parliament today.
John Laurens has worked at the steelworks for 35 years and is among dozens of workers making the trip to London. He says their fight with government is far from over and it's about working to protect the whole industry. He told Viking:
"This town was born on steel, the impact to families and future generations is immense. I have three daughters and all of their partners work on the steelworks and I have three grandaughters and I myself don't know what I would do.
"But let's not write off the steel industry yet, we have only just entered the consultation period.
"Today is not just about Scunthorpe, it's about raising the awareness of the nation. The manufacturing industry in this country is dying and it's time people woke up to the fact we aren't going to ahve a manufacturing industry and there's going to be no future for our children and children's children. Scunthorpe itself will die.
"The time for action is now and that's what we are going down to London for. We need to raise the awareness of what is going on in the steel industry and the manufacturing industry in this country and that is why our colleagues from across the country are coming down to support us."
Matthew Cook started working there 7 years ago when he turned 18 and says he's concerned for his future as steel is all he knows. He told us:
"I have a lot of skills in steel but outside of steel they are not really transferrable. I would have to look for another job but in the decline of the steel industry and the redundancies, the competition for jobs in this area will be monumental.
"There are a lot of young people in this town who want to work in the steelworks and see it as a job for life and see it as an opportunity to progress and learn and pick up skills and trades but as it stands everyone is very worried at the moment."
Community Union's General Secretary, Roy Rickhuss spoke to MPs on behalf of the UK’s thousands of steelworkers yesterday. He said:
"The inquiry by the BIS Select Committee is important and timely and I welcome the opportunity to relay the concerns of our members and their colleagues and set out what issues I believe the committee should be raising with Ministers during their evidence. Issues like when the government will bring forward the full compensation package for energy intensive industries and how they plan to level the playing field within Europe for UK steel producers.
“I also look forward to joining with representatives of steelworks across the UK on Wednesday as we make the case to MPs on all sides of Parliament about what we believe the government should be doing to support the UK steel industry through this current crisis. I will be particularly interested to hear the response to the debate from the Business Secretary, Sajid Javid MP. No doubt he will be keen to demonstrate that his discussions in Europe this week have delivered action on state aid clearance and steel dumping and that he has not returned empty-handed.
“Our message this week remains a loud and clear appeal to the government to save our steel. We have already seen thousands of jobs go in Redcar, now thousands more are on the line in Scunthorpe, South Yorkshire, Lanarkshire and within Caparo sites across the UK. The government still needs to give a sign to steel producers that this vital foundation industry has a future.
“The eyes of the UK are on the steel industry and people will be watching the response of ministers to the issues raised in Parliament this week. The government needs to demonstrate that it has heard the steelworkers and employers’ concerns and that it understands the urgency of the situation.”