Joint Statement From Stephen Kinnock MP and David Rees MS:

“Yesterday we met on-line with senior management of Tata Steel UK in order to discuss reports that appeared in the Sunday Times regarding Tata Steel’s proposal to transition the Port Talbot steel works from its current blast furnace to an electric arc furnace-based model.

“We set out our profound concerns about this proposal, which would lead to very substantial job losses, serious questions about the quality and types of steel that can be made, and massive challenges around electricity costs.

“We also expressed our regret, in the strongest terms, that Tata Steel had chosen to share this potentially game-changing proposal with the UK government without first discussing it with the trade unions.

“Given that the steel workforce and their trade union representatives have been a model of constructive engagement and pragmatism over recent years, it is deeply disappointing that the unions were not consulted before this proposal was sent to the UK government.

“The representative of Tata Steel UK senior management stated clearly that protecting jobs will be a central factor in the negotiations that are currently taking place with the government, and we were pleased to have his commitment and confirmation on this point.

“We look forward to future discussions as we all work towards our shared aim, which is to ensure that we have a strong and healthy steel industry at the heart of the post-pandemic economic recovery.”