This is Scunthorpe reported that confidence is fast returning to the Scunthorpe Corus steelworks after employees weathered the worst downturn of the past 50 years.
In the latest boost for the town a number of contractors taken on as emergency cover during the height of the recession are to be offered permanent jobs with the steel company.
Corus chiefs have confirmed 37 workers have been offered employment transfers within the rail service centre. The switchover has been agreed with the industry's two main trade unions Unite and Community.
Mr Rob Simpson spokesman of Corus said that "The job offers are being made now because the company has greater confidence in its future."
Mr Simpson said the contractors had been supporting manufacturing operations in the rail service centre where 150 people are currently employed.
The 37 men are currently employed by the American owned service provider Tube City IMS which in May picked up the first ever Contractor of the Year award for excellence from the local site director Mr Sean Lyons. Then, the Scunthorpe works gave the first indication better times were ahead by advertising for new staff for the first time in two years.
The morale booster came after TATA Steel Europe reported a GBP 365 million profit for the last six months of 2009-10. Jobs on offer at Scunthorpe are said to include engineers, technicians, project managers and store keepers.
Next month 60 school leavers will also start work on the 2,000 acre site as first year engineering and production apprentices. Further proof that things were getting better at Corus came when the company announced plans to recruit 154 new workers in South Yorkshire and to resume the recruitment of graduates and apprentices.
The latest plans brought number of new workers hired by the firm in the UK to more than 300 since March.
Mr Michael Leahy national general secretary of Community said that "These new jobs are a positive development. Community Union welcomes this creation of new employment and we’ll be following the process through to see that these positions become safe, secure and permanent jobs. Our main concern is that the new agency workers get the right rate for the job. Nevertheless, we are particularly glad to see that Corus is looking to invest in the future by hiring apprentices and graduates."
(Sourced from www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk)
