Posted on: 5 April 2024

Dear GMB Member,

Strike Ballot

You should be aware that we gave notice to Tata on Thursday 28^th March of our intention to ballot members at their Port Talbot and Llanwern sites. Ballot papers started getting posted yesterday so you should receive yours in the coming days. IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A BALLOT BY WEDNESDAY 10TH APRIL PLEASE CONTACT rosemary.broad@gmb.org.uk the ballot papers get sent to your home address and if you have moved and not updated your address with GMB you could miss out on your vote.

We know that we have members at various stages of their career, with some able to afford to volunteer for redundancy, but the vast majority of our members are relying on their job at Tata Steel to support their families and with it your whole community. Compulsory redundancies are avoidable and will be devastating - that is why we are balloting for industrial action. Even if you intend to volunteer for redundancy we are urging you to vote yes, in order to give your negotiating team as much strength as possible to get the right outcome for your industry and your community.

Whilst strike action will always be a last resort, it is a powerful message to give to Tata that, if they if they try to make people redundant that haven’t volunteered, we will fight them with action up to and including strike action.

Ticking YES does not mean you are definitely going on strike, it does mean we can demonstrate the strength of feeling to Tata Steel UK though, giving us the best opportunity to save jobs and primary steelmaking in South Wales. Voting yes for strike action gives us more power in the negotiating room because we have the demonstrable strength of our members behind us.

Pay Claim

Last year the company told us they couldn't answer our pay claim due to the ongoing uncertainty around the business, this week we have submitted the below pay claim which takes into account the pay freeze our members endured.

1. A substantial increase on all elements of pay to exceed the rate of inflation, with further increase in acknowledgment for 2023/24 reflecting RPI. Further to this anyone leaving the business from April 1st should be included into the back payment.
2. An Increase to lower earnings levels.
3. An Increase to pension contributions.
4. Improvement to parental leave contributions.
5. Carers leave policy to include 5 days’ full pay.

The company have acknowledged the pay claim and will be arranging a meeting to discuss.

In solidarity,

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs 

National Officer

Posted on: 22 March 2024

Dear GMB Member,

Following last night’s communication we have now received written confirmation from Tata of their proposal and they will be sharing this with all employees later today.

All three unions will be convening a meeting early next week with our reps to discuss this in detail and set out our next steps.

Tata have been told that we will not accept any compulsory redundancies and we continue to insist on the continuation of blast furnace steelmaking.

Furthermore, our members will not be bullied, blackmailed or intimidated by the threats the company are making over industrial action.

As unions we fight for all our members jobs.

In solidarity, 

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB National Officer

Alun Davies, Community National Officer

Peter Hughes, Unite Regional Secretary

Posted on: 22 March 2024

Dear GMB Member,

The joint trade unions have continued consultation with Tata Steel UK today. At the meeting we have again reiterated the Trade Unions red lines of no compulsory redundancies and the continued blast furnace operation.

Tata Steel UK have also informed us that they will be confirming their full and final position with regards to the redundancy package in writing within the next 24 hours. Once this has been received it will be shared with our Trade Union members.

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 18 March 2024

Dear GMB Member,

We write to you with regards to the announcement this morning that Morfa Coke Ovens is due to stop operation this week.

The Trade Unions were told early on in the consultation process that the coke ovens in Port Talbot were in state of disrepair. The company have long argued that it was likely they were going to have to close because of this, regardless of the decarbonisation strategy. All three unions had a walk around of the asset a few weeks ago to confirm this position.

We want to make it really clear to our members that we were not made aware that we had reached a critical state of no return and that the closure was imminent before the announcement this morning.

We had hoped to reach the end of consultation before any decisions were made. Having said that the closure of MCO in no way affects our position that there must be no compulsory redundancies and that blast furnace operation must continue.

Our local reps will be supporting members in the coke ovens who no doubt have more questions than answers at this difficult time and the UK Steel Committee will continue to advocate on our members behalf to get them the best possible outcome.

In solidarity,

Roy Rickhuss, Chair NTUSCC General Secretary, Community

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB National Officer

Peter Hughes, Unite Regional Secretary

Posted on: 28 February 2024

Dear Members

This afternoon the National Trade Union Steel Coordinating Committee met with a Tata Steel delegation, led by Koushik Chatterjee, to discuss matters relating to the continued deterioration of the coke ovens.

The unions were represented by Roy Rickhuss as Chair of the Committee and General Secretary of Community, Community’s Assistant General Secretary Alasdair McDiarmid, Community’s National Officer for Steel Alun Davies, GMB’s Regional Organiser Rosemary Broad and Unite’s Regional Secretary Peter Hughes.

The company’s plan, which the unions have not accepted, is to continue to operate the coke ovens and Blast Furnace Number 5 up to the end of June 2024. This plan has not changed.

However the company have informed the unions, and our experts, that should the position further deteriorate then a decision will be made to close the coke ovens early on health and safety grounds. Should this happen Blast Furnace Number 5 would also close early due to the lack of coke to feed it.

The increasingly precarious position of the coke ovens, and the health and safety concerns being raised by our members working there, mean that contingency plans do have to be made.

We can advise that at our meeting today the company initiated a conversation on the redundancy arrangements to be made available should the coke ovens and Blast Furnace Number 5 close early. We want to be clear that no agreements have been made, and that our primary red line is the unions will accept no hard redundancies.

Further meetings with the company are being arranged and we will keep you updated as these discussions progress.

Regards

Roy Rickhuss, Chair NTUSCC, General Secretary, Community

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, National Officer, GMB

Peter Hughes, Regional Secretary, Unite

Posted on: 22 February 2024

Dear Members

Yesterday afternoon the National Trade Union Steel Coordinating Committee met with a Tata Steel delegation, led by Koushik Chatterjee and TV Narendran, for the unions to formally respond to the company’s new restructuring proposals for Tata Steel UK.

As you will know the company previously rejected most of our Multi-Union Plan to safeguard production capacity and protect jobs, but they did accept our recommendation to keep the Hot Strip Mill open to roll slab over a transition period, and so their plan is a new one.

The unions were represented by myself as GMB National Officer and Roy Rickhuss General Secretary of Community, Community’s Assistant General Secretary Alasdair McDiarmid, Community’s National Officer for Steel Alun Davies and Unite’s Regional Secretary Peter Hughes.

Today we told Tata, very clearly, that their proposals remain completely unacceptable, and that if they continue not to listen then we are heading towards a major industrial dispute.

We also told Tata that the primary red line for all the unions is keeping Blast Furnace Number 4 operational up to 2032. Syndex, the steel unions’ experts jointly-appointed by Community, Unite and GMB, have concluded that is inconceivable this objective can be achieved in combination with a 3mt EAF. This is because with a 3mt EAF and BF4 there would be too much steel being produced to go through the BOS plant, meaning that when the 3mt EAF becomes operation BF4 would have to close, at the latest, in 2028.

The unions all agree this would be a completely unacceptable outcome and an alternative strategy must be secured. Based on the detailed advice of our experts Community and GMB continue to believe the Multi-Union Plan, which already factors in all the engineering costs, is the best solution to protect jobs and our production capacity.

Following further analysis by our experts the additional investment costs for the Multi-Union Plan have been revised down from £683m to less than £600m. We firmly believe our plan to be deliverable, and the company has agreed to continue discussing the detail. The case for the Multi-Union Plan, which has the backing of the Labour Party, has been further strengthened by Labour’s recent confirmation that the £3bn Green Steel Fund is secure and will be delivered in the first parliament.

Today Tata did confirm they have not committed to invest in a DRI plant at Port Talbot. In any event we know a DRI plant would support less than 300 jobs, so it would in no way replace the 2,500 jobs lost as the inevitable consequence of a 3mt EAF.

Further meetings with the company are being arranged and we will keep you updated. We know the continued uncertainty is distressing, but rest assured we are working hard to bring clarity and secure the best outcomes for our members.

Thank you

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs

National Officer

Posted on: 24 October 2023

Dear Member,

Please see letter regarding Keir Starmer’s visit to Port Talbot via the link below.

keir-starmer-letter-231023-.pdf

Posted on: 16 August 2023

Dear Member,

I write to update you with the ballot results:

GMB: 79% Accept

Unite: 89% Accept

The below offer will now be implemented in time for August pay:

• 7% increase to base pay, backdated to April 1st 2022
• 0.5% increase to base pay from October 1st 2022

A commitment to discuss the following at local levels:

• An employment package that encourages the attraction, retention and development of skilled personnel, including resolving disparities between engineering day and shift workers
• A solution to the standing issues of Time in Lieu owed to F-J Grades
• Completing work already started on the Minimum Earnings Limits

Thank you for your time and support throughout this process.

In solidarity,

Charlotte Childs

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 16 September 2022

Dear Member,

I write to update you with the ballot results:

GMB: 79% Accept

Unite: 89% Accept

The below offer will now be implemented in time for August pay:

• 7% increase to base pay, backdated to April 1st 2022
• 0.5% increase to base pay from October 1st 2022

A commitment to discuss the following at local levels:

• An employment package that encourages the attraction, retention and development of skilled personnel, including resolving disparities between engineering day and shift workers
• A solution to the standing issues of Time in Lieu owed to F-J Grades
• Completing work already started on the Minimum Earnings Limits

Thank you for your time and support throughout this process.

In solidarity,

Charlotte Childs

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 8 July 2022

Dear Member,

I write to update you on the current situation with the 2022-23 pay award.

Senior representatives of both the GMB and our Joint Trade Union have today met with National Officers to discuss their mandate for the failure to agree meeting on Monday 11th July.

We are clear that members need an improved position to ballot on, whilst we are in the failure to agree process there is no risk to the current offer on the table. Contrary to a sister unions communications there has been no indication that Tata Steel UK are wanting to withdraw the offer of 7% from April 22 and 0.5% in October 22.

I will further update our joint membership after the meeting on Monday.

In solidarity,

Charlotte Childs

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 10 June 2022

Dear Member,

Firstly, a sincere thank you from your senior bargaining team for voting in large numbers in the Indicative Ballot on Pay for 2022. We are writing to update you on the next steps union members need to take to ensure that the pay offer is improved to an acceptable level for our members.

The ballot paper was clear, if the offer was rejected, we may move towards a ballot for industrial action, up to and including strike.

To support a successful campaign for industrial action the joint trade union reps team suggest the following steps whilst an indicative ballot for strike action is taking place.

Set up a Fund

To help any member who may be affected by any Industrial Action we may choose to take we need a fighting fund. The Stewards suggested a weekly payment of £5 from each member to cover members pay should they have to take industrial action.

Contact other branches across both unions for donations to the strike fund.

Both GMB and our Joint Trade Union pay strike pay to members taking industrial action in addition to this.

National Protest Day

To be organised and coordinated with reps at all Tata UK sites.

Preparing for Industrial Action

Reps will support our members in doing the following:

Identify and map out the Safety Manning for each department should we choose to strike.

Arrange Posters, etc for distribution between our membership.

Develop a Timetable to visit each department and rota before and throughout the Ballot Period

Ballot

The next step for GMB and our Joint Trade Unoin is to carry out an indicative ballot of our members for industrial action. Our reps will be administering this and holding meetings to explain why we need you to vote yes for strike action. This is not a legal ballot and does not mean we are going on strike but it is an effective negotiating tool when your representatives are trying to demonstrate the strength of feeling from the membership to the employer. We urge you, talk to your representatives and vote YES to both questions on the ballot paper. This will give us the strongest possible chance of getting the employer back to the table to improve their offer.

Make sure your address and contact details are up to date, if we end up having to carry out a legal ballot the law states it has to be posted to your home address.

In solidarity,

Charlotte Childs

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 27 April 2022

Dear Member,

I am writing to update on you on the ongoing 2022/23 pay negotiations and next steps.

I know these are difficult times for you and your families. Energy bills and inflation are soaring, and it’s been five years since you received an above-inflation pay increase.

Your representatives believe it is high time Tata recognised what you have done to keep the businesses going through the pandemic, and the continued loyalty you demonstrate each and every day. Tata Steel UK is in profit, and the company must make an appropriate pay award that enables you to uphold your standards of living.

However the way the company has conducted itself during these pay negotiations has been an insult to you and your representatives. The trade unions approached the negotiations in good faith, pursuing a simple and fair pay increase with no strings attached. We even offered a fast-track approach to conclude a deal before the inflation figures increased any further.

Just weeks ago it seemed we were on the verge of an agreement, but inexplicably the company reneged on an offer that had been made, destroying all trust and confidence in the process. Backtracking fast, the company said an inflationary increase must be paid for through cuts to your terms and conditions; rest assured this is completely unacceptable to your trade unions.

We know a senior manager has recently benefitted from their own bumper pay deal. We ask ourselves, what is it that makes our management believe they can treat you with such contempt?!

Adding fuel to the fire, the company cancelled a planned meeting with your negotiating representatives, seeking to avoid any confrontation by communicating their position in writing. The situation is, quite frankly, both a disgrace and a shambles, and HR must be held accountable for their continued failings.

Earlier today, your senior representatives met to discuss how we proceed from here. Your representatives are clear the company’s position should be rejected. They are unanimous in their view that we are prepared to fight to get you a fair pay deal, and in pursuit of this all options remain on the table including industrial action.

In the coming days your senior representatives from across the businesses will be holding meetings to explain the position and understand your views. The outcomes of these consultations will be carefully considered before we decide on the appropriate actions to bring this company to its senses.

I will keep you updated as to further developments.

In solidarity,

Charlotte Childs

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 1 January 1970

Dear GMB Member,

To All FEP and F-J GMB Members at TATA Steel UK - Pay Ballot Results

Thank you for your participation in the recent pay ballot over the 2020/21 and 2021/22 pay offer. I can advise that GMB members have voted to accept the offer and can also confirm that our sister steel trade unions have both also voted to accept the deal.

Given your previous commitment, by way of a consultative ballot, to mount an industrial response should the employer not make an improved offer, may I once again also take this opportunity to thank you for providing your national negotiating team with a strong mandate for these talks.

See below a statement from the multi unions that will go out to all steel trade unions members.

In solidarity

Ross Murdoch

GMB National Officer

Statement from the multi union

We are pleased to inform you that following the completion of due diligence, the pay agreement for 2021-2022 has now been formally signed.

The unions worked hard to come to an agreement with the company that goes some way to recognising your hard work over the preceding year.

The finalisation of the pay claim at this time means that you will receive a £500 lump sum payment in your August pay packet and in your September pay, 3% backdated to the 1st April of this year. This will be calculated on all hours that have been worked.

In conjunction with the award your local officials will also have the ability to conduct a review of the local bonus elements jointly with local management to consider the suitability of current measures against key drivers.

Kind regards,

Ross Murdoch, National Officer, GMB

Alun Davies, National Organiser, Community

Tony Brady, National Officer, Unite

Posted on: 2 May 2022

Dear GMB Member,

Further to recent meetings with your employer and separately with your trade union side National Negotiating Committee, please see multi-union update below:

As promised, we are getting in touch to update you on our latest conversations with Tata and our next steps.

Further to the update you received last week on 18th of May, the company proposed a way forward to resolve the failure to agree for 2020. The clear outcome of the indicative ballot - which showed members’ overwhelming support for a ballot for industrial action - gives us a good indication of our members’ support for our engagement with the company on this.

The company proposed as a resolution to address this matter and the pay claim for 2021 together. National Officials and local reps have agreed to this as a way to demonstrate that we are looking to have constructive and meaningful discussions.

A pay claim meeting with your representatives has been held this week and will be submitted shortly.

We have made clear to the company that they should set aside a series of dates so we can deal with these issues in a timely manner.

We will keep you updated on all future developments.

Once again thank you for your ongoing support.

In unity,

Ross Murdoch, National Officer, GMB

Paul Warren, National Organiser, Community

Tony Brady, National Officer, Unite

Posted on: 1 January 1970

Dear GMB Member,

We are writing to update you following the recent consultative ballots to determine the strength of your desire to pursue a pay award for 2020/2021. As you know the results provide overwhelming evidence that our members would support a ballot for industrial action.

This week the national officials met with the company to discuss the results in the context of the Failure To Agree (FTA). The discussion was constructive; the company has committed to coming back to us quickly, with a meaningful proposal and they want to arrange further meetings.

As soon as the company has responded, we intend to call a full meeting of your joint negotiating committee representatives.

We will keep you updated on next steps and future developments.

In unity,

Ross Murdoch

GMB National Office

Posted on: 13 December 2022

To All FEP and F-J GMB Members at TATA Steel UK

Thank you for your participation in the recent consultative ballot over 2020 pay, which was in response to the employer fully rejecting your Pay Claim for 2020.

The results of the Consultative Ballot of Intent to take some form of Industrial Action are set out below:

On question 1. Are you prepared to take part in an Industrial Action short of strike action e.g., overtime ban – the responses were:

100% Yes

0% No

On question 2. Are you prepared to take part in Strike Action – the responses were:

91.67% Yes

8.33% No

From conversations with our sister steel trade unions, we understand all three unions results are pretty much aligned.

Therefore, we will make the employer aware of the mandate we now have from our membership and pose the question to them on the need to revisit their position on rejecting our claim. We will keep you fully updated on developments.

Once again thank you for your ongoing support.

Stay safe!

Ross Murdoch

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 18 December 2020

Dear GMB Member,

This week the Tata Steel European Works Council met about Tata’s plans to separate the company and sell Tata Steel Netherlands to SSAB. As you will know, it is now clear Tata wants to separate the UK from mainland Europe regardless of whether the sale to SSAB completes, and they intend to table separation proposals to the EWC in January.

We should be clear however the creation of a standalone UK business is Tata’s agenda not ours, and we are not persuaded this approach is in the best interests of the UK. We have advised the leadership of Tata Steel and TSE at the highest levels that we will not consult on separation proposals unless we are convinced of Tata’s commitment to building a strong UK business equipped to compete with TSN on equal terms.

Tata have a lot of work to do to persuade us of their long-term plans and intentions. The UK and the Netherlands have been progressively integrated over more than 20 years, and for a sustainable UK business we would need to rebuild our capabilities in key areas like commercial, engineering and R&D. Clearly that cannot happen overnight, and if the UK is to be separated we must be assured that all the key functions will be in place and fully operational from day one.

To build a viable standalone UK business it will also be critical for us to get our fair share of the order book, and we need to develop a clear business strategy for a standalone UK. Yes, we need government to back us, but asking the government to bail us out does not constitute a strategy. Tata are, and they say will remain, the owners of TSUK, and we will continue to hold them responsible for the future of our plants and our livelihoods.

Therefore, as we have told Tata, it is vital that high-level UK discussions commence as a matter of urgency. We need to review Tata’s plans to build a sustainable UK business, and we need to discuss how we can work together to secure TSUK and obtain the necessary third-party support. This has to happen, and it has to happen before we enter any European discussions on separation.

This has been an exceptionally difficult year for everyone connected with the business. However in spite of all the challenges, we know that TSUK can have a bright and prosperous future. We have the best workforce anywhere in the world and given the right backing from Tata, the investment we need and the right UK leadership, we will continue to make world class steels for generations to come.

Roy Rickhuss CBE, Chair of the Steel Committee | General Secretary, Community

Tony Brady, National Officer, Unite

Ross Murdoch, National Officer, GMB