Statement from Community – Talks with Tata break down

Following the breakdown of talks between steel unions and Tata today, Community General Secretary Roy Rickhuss said:

“It’s disappointing that talks with Tata broke down without an agreed position, but the company’s proposals are completely unacceptable.

“Tata talks the talk and wants to be seen as a caring responsible employer, but the reality is they are determined to cut jobs and punish their most vulnerable employees who want job security.

“We have told the company, in the strongest terms, that their actions and failure to engage in meaningful negotiations is not good enough, and we will now consult our members on our next steps.”

A full statement from the National Trade Union Steel Co-Ordinating Committee (NTUSCC), chaired by Roy Rickhuss, reads as follows:

NTUSCC Statement 3 May 2024

The trade unions have been meeting with Tata since Wednesday with regards to the company’s decarbonisation and restructuring plans. 

These talks have now broken down as Tata have failed to engage in meaningful negotiations, seeking instead to maximise business profits and completely disregarding the impact on our members, their families and their communities.

Rajesh Nair tried unsuccessfully to get the unions’ agreement on the following points: 

· BF 5 to close in June 2024 

· BF4 to close in September 2024, with related redundancies leaving soon after 

· No improvements to VR package beyond what they have already communicated · Retention of 50 people from Port Talbot’s steel & slab area, on 60% pay while not working 

· A training scheme for ‘non-volunteers’ that takes VR enhancements off them and puts them on the Living Wage after just 4 months 

· No Guarantee on avoiding compulsory redundancies 

In addition, we made it very clear that the VR package proposed is not acceptable and would lead to compulsory redundancies. Tata have also refused to move the 25-year cap or increase the multiplier – the only movement from the company relates to calculating in year service, i.e. 10 years and 6 months would be 2.6weeks x 10.5 years – rather than rounding down to 10 years. 

Rajesh Nair appears to believe that you, our members, should be grateful that they are not closing the whole business and that they are ‘saving’ 5,000 jobs. This is a disgraceful attitude that shows a complete disregard for the workforce. 

All three unions are totally aligned, the company’s intransigence needs to be met with the collective strength of our combined membership. We cannot and will not accept the decimation of our industry lying down. 

The most important thing we can do now is ensure we can deliver the strongest possible YES YES vote for all 3 unions so we can attack this company the way they have attacked you and your industry. 

Any industrial action will be taken together, in a strategic way, and it is vital a strong YES YES vote is delivered to allow us to do this. 

We recognise that the company have threatened to remove VR enhancements if strike action is taken – we consider this to be unacceptable blackmail and a derogation of their responsibility to their loyal workforce. 

The unions are speaking with one voice: 

• If you want to fight for an enhanced redundancy package we need to have the threat of strike. 

• If you want to avoid compulsory redundancies then we need to have the threat of strike. 

• If you want to secure the future of your business we need to have the threat of strike. 

We believe that we need to do everything we can to defend our industry. 

The company’s proposal not only makes people redundant but seeks to punish those that want to stay, those that are in the most vulnerable position who cannot afford to volunteer for redundancy. These are our young people, those with families and mortgages, and who want and deserve a future in steelmaking. 

The contempt this company have shown is a callous attack on those that have kept our businesses going – it is completely unacceptable and now is the time to show we are ready to fight. 

Roy Rickhuss CBE – General Secretary, Community

Peter Hughes – Regional Secretary, Unite

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs – National Officer, GMB