I have signed the petition. By doing so I hope to add to the campaign for saving Tata UK plants. The petition itself is more symbolic than influential but I don't want to sit back and do nothing.
I was a metallurgist in the steel industry in the 70's when there was massive rationalisation due to falling demand and monopoly situations. The private company I worked for were "victims". The order book we had was what was the real prize at stake for the selected few survivors.
Politicians will jaw-jaw about the effects of closure and give out " reasons" they are tied to. The EU needs to get off it's a**e and actually ACT imeediately. China dumping steel due to its recent massive expansion now causing over capacity must be restrained as it is affecting the worldwide industry. They are depressing the market price for steel that is causing losses elsewhere.
South Wales is extremely vulnerable due to the decimation of heavy industry, coal and steel mainly. There are hotspots of severe unemployment etc years after pit closures in particular.government pours money into retraining etc but this is only cosmetic and short term. The lost jobs rarely get replaced.
My own town area has lost thousands of jobs and I know of many who have gone to poorly paid jobs or even not worked since finishing the "training" that was set up. The training companies made money.........
