Thaindian News

London, June 25 (IANS) Tata Steel subsidiary Corus, Europe’s second largest steelmaker, Thursday announced more than 2,000 joblosses, mostly in its British plants.
The company blamed “the worldwide economic downturn and, in particular, the decline in steel demand in Europe and America”.

Of the 2,045 jobs that are expected to go, some 1,500 are in the company’s production facilities, including around 800 at the engineering steels sites, mainly in the towns of Rotherham and Stocksbridge; 370 in Corus Tubes in Britain and the Netherlands; and about 375 at downstream rolling and finishing plants in Teesside and Scotland.

The company is also opening consultations on 500 white-collar jobs throughout the Corus Long Products division, the majority at Scunthorpe.

Corus CEO Kirby Adams said: “Any recovery in Europe appears to be some time off, so it is vital that we take this proportionate and responsible action now.

“We have to achieve long-term, sustainable competitiveness in a global and over-supplied steel market and are determined to do so by focusing on the quality of the products and services we offer our customers.”

Michael Leahy, general secretary of the Community union, said: “All this just adds to the misery for steelworkers. Corus need to decide if they really are trying to be fit for the future or just fit for the scrapheap.”

“We have real concerns for the integrity of the British steel industry - we fear its further erosion could fundamentally undermine UK manufacturing,” he added.