Workers demand answers at steel plant

MINISTERS HAVE been urged to intervene to help protect thousands of jobs amid concerns about the future of a major steelworks.

Unions demanded answers after it emerged SSI, the Thaibased owner of the Redcar plant, company failed to repay loans worth £80m in June and was giv- en a short-term stay of execution by lenders.

Redcar MP Anna Turley said: “Our steelworks in Redcar sustains thousands of jobs and it is vital that these are protected.

“The Government need to be stepping up to support the industry to help it weather the current storm.

“We are looking for action on energy costs, business rates and imports, to level the playing field and improve UK steel competitiveness.”

Ms Turley will lead a Commons debate on the future of the UK steel industry tomorrow.

Gareth Stace, from industry group UK Steel, said: “There are costs that we fact that our competitors don’t – high energy costs, business rates costs, air quality targets – and they could do something about this tomorrow.”

SSI took over the former Corus Teesside Cast Products plant in 2010 after it was mothballed, and is believed to have spent around £1bn on the site.

A spokesman for the Community union, which represents the majority of the workforce at the Redcar site, said: “The multi union reps on site at SSI are pushing for updates from management through their usual channels.”

SSI declined to comment yesterday on the reports surrounding the business.