Corus unions plan ‘orchestrated action’
25th February 2010
Unions representing workers at Corus, including Unite, will meet
today (Thursday 25th) to plan a ballot for orchestrated and
strategic industrial action.
The unions are campaigning to force the company to make a firm
commitment to finding a buyer for its Teesside plant, which is
being mothballed.
Corus began mothballing its Teesside Cast Products site at
Redcar last Friday (19th February). The company's decision will
lead to the loss of up to 10,000 jobs in an area already decimated
by job losses. The closure will lead to 1,600 job cuts at Redcar
but the knock-on effect is likely to lead to a further 8,000 job
cuts in the surrounding area.
Unite the union, which has 11,000 members across Corus, will
join with its sister unions to discuss ways of using industrial
action to bring maximum pressure against Corus with minimum
disruption to its members.
Unite, national officer Terry Pye said: "The unions are meeting
today to plan orchestrated and strategic action to put maximum
pressure on Corus. Unite is ready to ballot its members for
industrial action, if we get a yes vote we intend to be precise and
effective.
"We believe that the company is failing to consider offers from
its competitors to buy the Redcar plant. We are aware that serious
offers have been made to Corus that would allow production to
remain at the plant, but the management has dismissed them all out
of hand.
"With 10,000 jobs at stake in an area which has already been
decimated by job losses, Corus has a moral responsibility to the
workers and to the community. The workers have given years of
loyalty and hard work and Corus owes them."
The meeting of the Corus Steel Committee comprising of union
representatives from Corus and will take place in London. The
unions are united in their opposition to the mothballing of the
Teesside site.
ENDS
Contact Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315
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