Tata Steel likely to cut 1,200 UK jobs

Steel giant Tata Steel is expected to announce 1,200 job cuts at its plants in the country next week as part of “structural changes” to become more competitive, according to British media reports. The firm is expected to significantly reduce the workforce at its Scunthorpe steel plant in the north of England, which employs 3,000 people, as well as those in Scotland. Tata has, however, declined to confirm the news of job cuts, issuing only a statement that it continues to “review” the situation. 

“We’ve made a number of structural changes to our UK business over the last months and years to make us more competitive. Like all companies we continue to review the performance of our business,” a spokesperson said.

Sky News quoted sources as saying that up to 400 jobs are expected to go in Scotland and the rest in Scunthorpe in the plates section and one of the coke ovens. The jobs in Scotland are within the Long Products Division, specifically in the ‘steel plates’ section, it said. Workers’ unions have expressed their fears at what may be in store for them. “This is yet another blow to our steel communities and demonstrates the precarious state of the UK steel industry and emphasises the need for government action,” said Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community union.