Commenting on today’s (Friday) deal between Tata Steel and the government, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“This is a devastating blow for workers at Port Talbot and the opposite of a just transition.

“Ministers must press pause and urgently get around the table with unions. It beggars belief that they have been locked out of talks.

“Instead of safeguarding livelihoods in the steel industry, this deal will see thousands of good, unionised jobs potentially lost forever.

“An electric arc furnace-only model for Port Talbot is simply the wrong approach for making our steel greener.

“We need a proper long-term plan for zero-carbon steel-making in this country – not 1980s-style deindustrialisation.

“Other countries – like America and Germany – are working in partnership with unions and employers to protect their manufacturing heartlands. We should be doing the same.

“Tackling climate change can go hand in hand with creating and protecting good jobs. The Conservatives are presenting a false choice.”

About the TUC: The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together the 5.5 million working people who make up our 48 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.