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09/11/2015
Call For Urgent Action Over Dumping Of Cheap Chinese Steel
UK steelworkers will be in Brussels today, Monday 9 November, urging business secretary Sajid Javid and his European counterparts at the emergency EU council of ministers to take urgent action to stop the dumping of cheap Chinese steel.
Joined by Belgian and French steel unions, the steelworkers from Unite, Community and the GMB will be demonstrating outside the Justus Lipsius Building, 175 Rue de la Loi.
The meeting comes amid growing pressure on the UK government over its failure to step in to assist the country's crisis-hit steel industry, which is being hammered by a flood of subsidised Chinese steel and energy tariffs double that of their European competitors.
A Survation survey for Unite showed that almost seven in 10 want the government to intervene to ensure the UK steel industry's long-term survival. On public infrastructure projects, just 13% believed the government should import steel from other countries to seek the lowest price, regardless of origin.
Unite national officer Harish Patel said: "Hiding behind the EU as an excuse to do nothing will not wash with the tens of thousands of workers whose livelihoods depend on steelmaking in the UK.
"The business secretary Sajid Javid needs to secure urgent action from today's meeting to tackle the dumping of cheap Chinese steel and high energy costs. Nothing should be off the table, including a refusal to grant China market economy status while it fails to abide by EU rules on fair trade.
"Sajid Javid also needs to use the opportunity to learn from his counterparts in countries such as Germany and Italy and follow their lead in developing an industrial strategy with steel at its heart.
"Anything less and the continued failure by ministers to urgently intervene to support UK steel will push the crisis hit industry into meltdown."
(CD/JP)
Joined by Belgian and French steel unions, the steelworkers from Unite, Community and the GMB will be demonstrating outside the Justus Lipsius Building, 175 Rue de la Loi.
The meeting comes amid growing pressure on the UK government over its failure to step in to assist the country's crisis-hit steel industry, which is being hammered by a flood of subsidised Chinese steel and energy tariffs double that of their European competitors.
A Survation survey for Unite showed that almost seven in 10 want the government to intervene to ensure the UK steel industry's long-term survival. On public infrastructure projects, just 13% believed the government should import steel from other countries to seek the lowest price, regardless of origin.
Unite national officer Harish Patel said: "Hiding behind the EU as an excuse to do nothing will not wash with the tens of thousands of workers whose livelihoods depend on steelmaking in the UK.
"The business secretary Sajid Javid needs to secure urgent action from today's meeting to tackle the dumping of cheap Chinese steel and high energy costs. Nothing should be off the table, including a refusal to grant China market economy status while it fails to abide by EU rules on fair trade.
"Sajid Javid also needs to use the opportunity to learn from his counterparts in countries such as Germany and Italy and follow their lead in developing an industrial strategy with steel at its heart.
"Anything less and the continued failure by ministers to urgently intervene to support UK steel will push the crisis hit industry into meltdown."
(CD/JP)
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