Steelworkers everywhere fight for jobs

19 July 2009

More than 5000 workers and their families marched through a north of England steel community town this weekend.

They were joined by port workers, chemical workers and steel workers from other English steel communities; all angered by the threat to shut a Teeside steel plant throwing between 2000 and 3000 people out of work.

And they got some extra support from The Australian Workers' Union as we too are fighting our own battle to keep Australia's steel industry alive.

Failure to act for Teeside steel would devastate Britain's manufacturing base

The Community Union - the main union at the centre of this crisis - says the whole of the Teeside would be devastated if the Corus plant is shut down, as many local families and businesses depend on the plant for their livelihoods.

The rally on Saturday was warned that British manufacturing as a whole would not survive if the UK government failed to act on the Corus closure.

The steelworkers say the government must act to ensure the UK manufacturing base survives.

" Steel is the key to that, without steel there is no manufacturing base in this country," a Community Union speaker told the rally.

AWU support reported by BBC News

The BBC reports that a message of support from The Australian Workers' Union was read out at the rally on Saturday.

The AWU and the main Corus steel union, Community Union, have worked closely together to look for solutions to the global steel crisis.

" As your union, Community, organises to bring thousands of steel workers, their families and supporters out into the streets this Saturday please let everyone attending know that the Australian Workers' Union supports your campaign.

" Today steel workers everywhere are all struggling with the effects of the Global Financial Crisis, " Paul Howes wrote to the Community Union.

" Good people in the steel communities around the globe are being made to pay for, and suffer, because of the unethical practices and greed of a few on Wall Street.

AWU has history with Corus chief executive at centre of dispute

" I know that the Community Union will continue to lead the fight to safeguard the future of the steel industry in your country - as we too are fighting to save the steel industry in Australia."

Paul Howes noted that the current chief executive of Corus - Kirby Adams - who is the target of much of the workers' anger had previously been the boss at BlueScope Steel.

" The AWU's memories of Kirby Adams are not pleasant," Paul Howes said in his letter to the General Secretary of the Community Union, Michael Leahy.

" In my view when it comes to basic decency, straight-talking, fairness and respect for steelworkers it was hard for union members to see that in our then BlueScope Steel CEO."