Responding to the news that Tata Steel may shut down their Port Talbot site ahead of schedule, the Leader of the Welsh Lib Dems Jane Dodds said:
“Tata’s unnecessarily heavy-handed approach towards this crisis has only added further fuel to the fire, and their threat to close the site ahead of schedule will do nothing to calm the nerves of those workers already at risk of losing their livelihoods.
Our Welsh workers cannot be cast aside and treated as collateral damage, they are real people dealing with governmental negligence and abandonment.
Tata’s proposed transition will result in an economic disaster for thousands of workers, their families, and the surrounding community of Port Talbot. Whilst also contributing towards a mental health crisis that could see a grave increase in risks of suicide.
It’s not only people’s wallets at risk here but also their lives.
We must have a comprehensive plan, built in cooperation with the workers, that not only provides retraining but also financial security and dignity.
We cannot afford to hand Tata the keys and await the impending crash, we must act now for the sake of the community of Port Talbot.”
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