Local News
North East regional news from the Evening Chronicle, The Journal and the Sunday Sun.
Corus gives fresh hope to 1,600 steel workers at threatened TCP plant
Jan 15 2010
By Iain Laing
UNIONS fighting to save the jobs of 1,600 steel workers’ tonight welcomed Corus’ decision to keep its Teesside plant open for several weeks longer.
The giant steel company had planned to shut its Teesside Cast Products plant in Redcar at the end of this month after failing to find new customers or a buyer since losing vital contracts last May.
But last night bosses said they would keep the plant open at least until the third week of February while the company and unions explored options for its future
A company spokesman said: "Corus has today agreed to the trade unions’ request to extend operations at Teesside Cast Products (TCP) until all the raw materials currently on site have been consumed, or until the end of February, whichever is first.
"Corus will place internal orders on TCP in order to give at least three weeks of continued operation beyond the end of January. During this time the Trade Unions and Corus will jointly explore further opportunities to continue steelmaking on Teesside."
Unions had petitioned Corus to give the plant a further reprieve at a meeting of a taskforce set up to keep the plant open or reduce the effect of mothballing on workers.
Community union general secretary Michael J Leahy said: "These additional weeks will provide valuable time to find an alternative future for steelmaking on Teesside. Tata Corus need to be open-minded to all possibilities as the future of an entire community depends on their actions in the coming weeks."
The news came at the end of another tense day of discussions on the plant’s future and the threat of strike action by Community.
North East regional news from the Evening Chronicle, The Journal and the Sunday Sun.
