Industrial action plan?

Mar 15 2010 by Evening Gazette

UNIONS were due to meet in London today to decide whether to follow through on threats to take industrial action against steelmaker Corus.

The four major unions representing steelworkers across the UK - including Unite, which is already embroiled in a bitter row with government over a planned strike by British Airways crews - previously said Corus boss Kirby Adams must demonstrate by today that he was serious about negotiating a future for Teesside Cast Products at Redcar.

The plant, which has already begun releasing some of its 1,600 staff, began mothballing three weeks ago.

Community Union general OBE said: “Without concrete guarantees from Corus that it will protect the livelihoods of our members on Teesside, Community will be forced to consider an industrial solution to the closure of Teesside Cast Products. We have made it very clear that if Corus fail to produce a satisfactory answer to the Teesside question, Community and the other unions will take action.”

He accused the company of “wanton destruction of the union-management partnership across the country” and blamed the change in culture on CEO Mr Adams.

He said since the American boss joined the company last year, unions had seen “repeated attacks upon core terms and conditions across the country, a pattern of poor consultation and the loss of thousands of jobs”, despite a massive cost cutting exercise supported by staff, which saved the company £1bn last year.