Ms Linda Robinson UK poet used her fabulous opportunity on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square to highlight the plight of the Corus steelwork factory in Teesside.

Joined by a handful of representatives from the union Unite, she used her hour in Antony Gormley's One & Other project in Trafalgar Square to amplify the union’s call on the government to support British industry during the recession.

Mr Geoff Waterfield Multi Union Chairman Teesside reminded the government of their obligation to support manufacturing, which Corus' CEO Mr Kirky Adams has also highlighted, pointing to the steps European governments such as Germany, Holland and Spain have taken to protect their workforce.

He also asked for a long term manufacturing plan which was above party politics, and was echoed by Mr Richard Green, a Community NEC Worker, who said "On May 8 we were asked to close. But by June, the price of steel was improving."

He added that he believed this was an issue which went beyond the immediate closure of the factory but was about preserving a society for future generations in which everyone's aims and ambitions can be catered for.

Corus' mothballing of its Teesside Cast Products plant, announced in May, has added around 2000 jobs losses to the 3500 redundancies made by the company in January. Corus has since announced plans to cut a further 2000 jobs.

(Sourced from www.nce.co.uk)