Unions have reacted angrily after the steel maker Corus confirmed earlier this month that hundreds more jobs are likely to go at its Scunthorpe plant, just a few weeks after announcing that more than 2,000 employees were at risk across the UK.
Mr Michael Leahy general secretary of the Community union said that "The announcement adds insult to injury for steel workers in Scunthorpe. We keep hoping that the job losses are ending, and then another announcement comes along. We were disappointed that an agreement could not be reached to prevent job losses. Unfortunately, Corus did not put all their cards on the table during the negotiations. In the coming months, Community will be supporting our members throughout the consultation period and opposing hard redundancies. What Corus needs to prove is that these cuts will make steel making in Scunthorpe fit or the future, not fit for the scrap heap."
Mr Mick Grant a North Lincolnshire councilor said that "This is terrible news, not just for those workers who will lose their jobs, but also for their families and the local economy. It’s a real blow. Unions at the plant recently cancelled a ballot on whether to suspend bonus payments that could have been worth more than GBP 5,000 for each employee, as part of a GBP 72 million cost cutting drive. The unions had taken their stance in not having the ballot, and I feel that Corus has jumped the gun in making these further job losses. It is a heavy price to pay."
In addition, Corus has suspended its graduate recruitment program for the first time in more than 20 years to help cut costs. A total of 25 graduates had previously been promised two year apprenticeships in the Long Products division, starting in September, and most of them would have been based in Scunthorpe.
Mr Sean Lyons site director of Corus said that "It is a regrettable position that we find ourselves in. We must retain and develop the skills needed to be fit for the future but, in order to be fit for the future, we must get through the current difficulties that we are in. We have to cut our costs to give us a chance, and that is what we are doing."
(Sourced from www.machinery-market.co.uk)
