UNIONS at Trostre have voted to back a new package to secure the short term future of the plant with an agreement based on worker’s pensions, 24 voluntary redundancies and investment in Port Talbot. Speaking to Carmarthenshire Media about the decision Shadow Secretary of State for Defence Nia Griffith MP said: It has been a very difficult decision for the workers concerned. It came down to sacrificing part of their hard earned pensions or seeing the plant disappear from the area. What we really need now is respect for the decision they have made and we need Tata to step up to the mark and put that investment in. We want to see not just investment in port Talbot but obviously here in Llanelli at Trostre Works as well. We want to ensure we get the best competitive edge we possibly can in order to secure the plant for the future and we certainly want them to keep their promise of no compulsory job losses. That is really important and I think now Tata really need to show the workers that they do respect what they have done. The sacrifice their making and that they will put in their investment and keep their promise about jobs.
Speaking about Tata’s latest plan to build houses on land adjacent to their Trostre plant Nia Griffith said: What Tata decides to do with its assets is a separate matter but I think what I would like to see is a really competitive steel industry for us. It’s jobs that have to come first. We want the UK government step up to the mark in terms of things like carbon taxes and energy costs otherwise we will see steel making disappear from this country. That is a real threat. I hope the UK government will realise just how serious this year has been and make sure that steel making stays in this country and does not go to other sister plants in other countries.
