Steelworkers at the UK's largest production plant vote to strike over job losses
Union officials say steelworkers at Britain’s largest steel production plant have voted to go on strike for the first time in 40 years
LONDON (AP) — Steelworkers at Britain's largest steel production plant voted to strike for the first time in around 40 years to protest the planned loss of 2,800 jobs by Indian owner Tata Steel, union officials said Thursday.
The Unite trade union said 1,500 of its members at the south Wales plant and the nearby smaller Newport Llanwern processing plant backed the strike action.
In January, Tata said it would close both blast furnaces at Port Talbot as part of plans to make its unprofitable U.K. operation leaner and greener, replacing them with more environmentally friendly electric arc furnaces.
Unite said Tata has other choices after the union secured a commitment from the main Labour Party opposition that it will invest 3 billion pounds ($3.8 billion) in U.K. steel, compared with the 500 million pounds pledged by the current Conservative government. That potentially matters as Labour is way ahead of the Conservatives in opinion polls ahead of a general election that is expected to take place by the fall.
