Sanjeev Gupta pledged no steel plants would close on his watch and we expect him to honour that promise says GMB Union
Unions have responded to the announcement that Liberty Steel Group intends to sell Stocksbridge and its downstream plants, the narrow strip mill at Brinsworth and Performance Steels at West Bromwich.
Ross Murdoch, GMB National Officer, said:
"GMB held meetings with Liberty/GFG Alliance this morning.
"Sanjeev Gupta pledged no steel plants would close on his watch and we expect him to honour that promise.
"As ever, the devil will be in the detail and we await specific information with regards to the proposed sales."
Joint National Trade Union Steel Coordinating Committee (NTUSCC) statement:
“Stocksbridge and its downstream plants are strategically important businesses vital to our country’s defence, energy and aerospace sectors. The future for these businesses must be secured and the trade unions will hold Sanjeev Gupta to his promise that none of our steel plants will close on his watch.
“Liberty must act as a responsible seller and run a transparent sales process which fully engages the trade unions. We will expect to meet any potential buyer to scrutinise their plans and test their commitment to the workforce and to our industry.
“Whilst we are encouraged that Liberty and Credit Suisse appear to be making progress on the refinancing, we need to see a solution to inject cash into the UK as a matter of urgency.”
