A CORUS ballot on whether to risk jobs or help the company save £72-million has been cancelled.

Unions have suspended the ballot after the announcement of 500 potential job losses at Scunthorpe and 2,045 across the Long Products Division.

The Multi-Union trade union movement, consisting of Community, GMB and Unite, made the decision to suspend the vote today.

Multi-union chairman Mick Fell said: "This is a bad day for British steel and all of those communities affected. National officers will now be brought in to negotiate a way forward."

Bill Gray, works conveynor for Unite, said: "We must now stand together in support for all our colleagues at Scunthorpe."

The GMB's Nigel Frear added: "We will continue to pursue a way forward that protects industry and the local community."

Speaking about today's announcement, Coun Mick Grant added: "Quite frankly, the actions of Corus have been nothing short of disgraceful.

"From what I've heard the jobs will be white collar staff, but until Corus make an official announcement that's only speculation.

"We must now work together– the local MP, the council and the trade unions– to look at the implications and every effort should be made to avoid compulsory redundancies.

"This is a massive blow to Scunthorpe and the knock-on effects will be far and wide.

"I have a meeting of The Regional Alliance at Doncaster tomorrow and I will be bringing this up and discussing it with my colleagues on that group. We will certainly be looking at what we can do to minimise that wider impact."