More than 160 Scunthorpe businesses, community groups, sports and social clubs have signed an open letter calling on the Government to save the town’s steel industry.
Representatives from across the whole community will come together at Ashby Bowl on Wednesday, November 29, to sign a giant version of the letter. It asks politicians from all sides to commit to securing the industry’s long-term future.
It comes after British Steel announced the closure of Scunthorpe’s blast furnaces, with the potential loss of up to 2,000 jobs. The letter states: “We are a coalition of local businesses, community groups, sports and social clubs in Scunthorpe speaking up together in support of our steel industry and its workers.
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“Scunthorpe’s steel industry is a hugely important employer, providing quality jobs for local people. Its future represents the future of our community and businesses. That future is now uncertain.
“For too long the UK steel industry has suffered from patchy investment and short-term vision. Our politicians, of all stripes, need to stand up and commit to securing a long-term future for the industry before steel communities like ours suffer the same fate as mining and industrial communities did in the 1980s.
“Back then, the Government sat idly by and allowed communities to suffer. They can’t be allowed to do the same again.
“Instead, they should commit to the investment needed to make the UK a European leader in green steel and secure the jobs that our community relies on. For communities to thrive they need decent jobs. It is the role of Government to ensure that communities have a secure future.”
The businesses and groups are calling on politicians to commit to:
- Changing procurement rules to let UK public contracts use 100 per cent UK steel. They say that this alone could create thousands of jobs.
- Public investment for a Steelworkers’ Transition Plan, with no loss of jobs.
- A phased workers’ transition to Green Steel – while doubling capacity to rebuild the industry and grow jobs.
Commenting on the letter, Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite, said: “The businesses and communities of Scunthorpe know that is crunch time for steel and for the future of their town. They are joining with Unite in their droves to call on our politicians to act now.
“The Government’s current plans for the industry are an abysmal failure that will result in the loss of countless jobs and the decimation of an industry vital to both the communities it supports and the UK’s economic success. Unite and the people of Scunthorpe will not rest until politicians make the right choices. Steel production in the UK can have a bright future – it’s time to save our steel.”
Ashby Bowl owner Stuart Ross said: “Steel is welded firmly in our town and is at the very heart of our community, we need politicians to decide who’s side they’re on. Steel making in Scunthorpe can have a very bright future. Don’t bowl it down the gutter, make the right decision and support UK steel.”
One of the signatories, James Welsh, of James Welsh Schools of Taekwondo, said: “Proud to be part of the Scunthorpe Taekwondo Club, a community deeply rooted in the legacy of the Scunthorpe steelworks. For as long as I can remember, it’s been more than an industry; it’s a part of our town’s DNA. My family, like many others, moved here for the opportunities forged by the steelworks.”
The many signatories to the letter include shops, pubs, charities, fitness centres, sports clubs and more.
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
