Tata-Port Talbot: Tata Steel initiates legal action against UK union over strike call

Tata Steel on Friday said it has initiated legal action against UK's  Unite Union after around 1,500 Tata Steel workers in Britain decided to begin an indefinite strike from July 8 over the company's plans to close two blast furnaces and cut up to 2,800 jobs.

Tata had scheduled the closure of one blast furnace by the end of June and the second one by September at their South Wales site. Due to the strike called by Unite members starting on July 8, Tata has informed the workers that both furnaces will be ceased no later than July 7. This decision was made to address the impact of the strike on operations.

The strike action, described by Unite as the first strike by British steel workers in 40 years, is supposed to take place at Tata's Port Talbot and Llanwern sites in Wales.

A Tata Steel spokesperson saidl: "In the coming days, if we cannot be certain that we are able to continue to safely and stably operate our assets through the period of strike action, we will not have any choice but to pause or stop heavy end operations (including both blast furnaces) on the Port Talbot site." 

Unite called the strike in protest at Tata Steel's plans to switch to a more greener way to produce steel, which would affect thousands of jobs. General secretary of Unite Sharon Graham said: “Unite is fighting for the future of the steel industry. We have secured serious investment from Labour to safeguard jobs. Tata putting out a statement to shut or pause its blast furnaces three months earlier than they intended to is the latest in a long line of threats that won’t deter us.

He added: “The Unite campaign is not about selling jobs, it’s about securing the long-term future of steel making in this country for thousands of workers in Port Talbot and south Wales. We call on the real decision makers in Mumbai to take hold of this dispute, sit down, negotiate and realise that the investment secured will be good for the company and workers.”

The shares of Tata Steel closed at Rs 174.00, down by 0.09%, on Friday.