Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Tata Steel

A former colleague once told me that the Italians always found EU directives useful : they used to rip the paper into quarters and hung it in the loo.

Petition signed.

Save the UK steel industry

And leave the EU.

Cheers

I feel extremely sorry for the workforce and their families but if a business is not profitable it has to go.

I was and still am extremely annoyed that the incumbent government saw fit to spend £3,000 of my money bailing out of all people the bankers who are some of the most self seeking SOB's alive.

I have no desire to support another failing industry whatever the circumstances of the demise.
Like coal when you price yourself out of the market you will lose the business as someone is always waiting in the wings to step up to the plate it's called reality.

I dislike nationalisation with a vengeance... but we have to keep steel production in the UK not just for the jobs and the jobs that support the plants from the whole value chain from the local sandwich supplier to the energy supplier. I think we have an opportunity to evaluate the whole value chain, what the end product could be using the skills and plant available. To do that the plants have to be kept running.

Consider this scenario:

1. China uses its massive production capacity to dump steel onto European markets at less than production price
2. European steel industries cannot make a profit due to high fixed costs
3. Governments refuse to support the industries
4. Industries close down
5. China stops dumping cheap steel and puts the price up
7. We can't restart the steel industries as the capital cost is too high

Of course, China is a responsible and trustworthy country and wouldn't even remotely consider such a strategy.

I take your point exactly but we seem as a country to be accepting of these things.
Not so long ago we were capable of producing and exporting front line combat aircraft on our own, we then progressed to Eurofighter with European friends.
Our next fighter will come from the USA and it should be remembered that during the past two "proper wars" they were very reluctant to join in and help us out. This is an important strategic mistake IMHO and possibly far more of a threat than the Chinese.

Totally agree Mike

Apparently In China 1.8 million steel workers have lost their jobs in the last few years

The one big issue I have though is that the Chinese steel industry is not as heavily regulated nor its production environmentally responsible as our industry so it is always going to be much more expensive even without the disparity of labour costs

From this mornings Times:

David Cameron was strongly criticised over his handling of trade with China last night after it emerged that Beijing will apply huge tariffs on steel produced by a Welsh plant threatened with closure. The move represents a humiliation for the government.

Wars have started over less.

Time, perhaps, for us and the EU to apply reciprocal tariffs on ALL Chinese products. So whatever import tariff they apply on our products we apply on theirs.

Hi Mike,
This link takes you straight to the Petitions secure site
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/119024

Norton being over cautious maybe?

Pointless!!!!!!!!.......nothing is pointless.

Tata own landrover / Jaguar they are making Millions and millions from the UK ...OH AND WHAT ABOUT THE CHEMICAL WORKS IN CHESHIRE .......(ICI) more millions.... PLUS OTHERS!!!!!if they abandon the steel take the rest from them...