'We'll fight to secure future of steel industry'
ELLIOT Morley is the driving force behind a new steel summit aimed at improving the future of the industry and minimising job losses.
The Scunthorpe MP has joined forces with Business Secretary Peter Mandelson and other MPs whose constituencies include steelworks to tackle the crisis in the industry.
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The meeting comes just days after Corus announced it was axing 2,500 jobs in the UK and further 1,000 jobs abroad. A total of 93 jobs are to go at the Scunthorpe plant.
Mr Morley said a template outlining the plan of action to be taken by the new summit would be released soon.
The summit will look to address a number of key issues which include measures such as:
What help can be provided in the short-term? Mr Morley said they group would look at providing tax credits for workers if their earnings drop below a certain level
Training issues. Mr Morley said the summit wanted to explore training options as an alternative to steelworkers being laid off
Moving forward projects across the country to benefit the steel industry. Mr Morley said projects such as Building Schools for the Future which had been earmarked to start in two years time could be brought forward to allow the steel industry to benefit sooner rather than later.
Mr Morley said: "I think the hope we have for the future is to minimise job losses and we need to explore ways to do that," he said.
"We need to instigate investments in infrastructure projects for new schools, hospitals, houses and railways and all these measures will benefit the manufacturing industry, including steel."
Yesterday (WEDS) Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged the government would do 'everything that we can' to support the steel industry.
News of Mr Brown's pledge broke yesterday on www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk
At Prime Minister's questions Mr Brown said: "We have talked to Corus and we have said, whether it's Berr the Department of Business, the Regional Development Agency in Wales and in other parts of the country or Job centre Plus, that we will do everything that we can."
He said that the steel firm's owner Tata 'wish to keep the steel plants moving forward'.
He added: "We are already working with Corus to look at what can be done to help with training costs for the future.
"Steel is absolutely crucial to the manufacturing future of this country."
For the full story, buy today's Scunthorpe Telegraph.
19 Comments
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by Corporal Jones, Walmington-on-Sea
Friday, January 30 2009, 1:50PM
“don't panic Captain 20+ at BBM gone this week leaned on to take ER. double dippers still there even manager is a DD but surely DD will be included in the 93, so there's no need to PANIC”
by Corpral Jones, Walmington-on-Sea
Friday, January 30 2009, 12:47PM
“don't panic Captain 20+ at BBM gone this week leaned on to take ER. double dippers still there even manager is a DD but surely DD will be included in the 93, so there's no need to PANIC”
by Anti-tax, In liquidation
Thursday, January 29 2009, 10:19PM
“Your smelling good, Mick. Looking at whats now happening in France because of their government bailing out of the Banks is one huge example of how people genuinely believe the Banks run and dictate the free worlds Governments. Its enough to convince me that the Banks have had & have so much power that they can force a government to go on bended knees to them and hand over Billions of $£$£$£$£$ of our money. And I'm not a communist. But this is a disgrace.We could be rioting here soon. The Banks should have carried the loss and re-organised how they lend instead of taking a short cut to our money.After all it was their greed not ours.”
by mick, smelling the coffee - western australia
Thursday, January 29 2009, 9:43PM
“Morley + Mandelson = Disaster.
So Morley and Gordon Brown's New Best Friend are coming to the rescue are they.
Is this the Mandelson that fought for years whilst in opposition to abolish the House of Lords, and has just taken his seat in that very Chamber.
Is it the same Mandelson that was forced to resign from the Government TWICE for dodgey dealing.
I would be very worried if I was relying on those 2 to safe-guard my future.
For any-one who is interested in the REAL Mandelson, try Googling Mandelson - Bilderberg Group - New World Order, and see what he has been up to over the years.
There's a lot of conspiracy theory in there, but enough genuine facts to make you think.”
by dick thornton, sotogrande
Thursday, January 29 2009, 8:33PM
“M Clifford seems to argue on the side of diplomacy. Maybe he should diplomatically inform Morley where all the rebar is produced that will go into all those schools hospitals houses and railways that these idiots say they are going to build and which will finally finish off the job of completely ruining the country, which they started in 1997!”
by dick thornton, sotogrande
Thursday, January 29 2009, 8:17PM
“Socialism = corruption and lies. We all know that. Just look at Spain! When will the voters in Scunthorpe finally twig? Morley seems to be spouting the same vacuous rubbish that we are getting from Zapatero over here! What happened to common sense?”
by Philip Reverse, Back Forward
Thursday, January 29 2009, 7:11PM
“What the Dickens does, "Tata 'wish to keep the steel plants moving forward'." actually mean?
Does it mean the end for reverse rolling techniques?
I think we should be told.”
by The voice of Reason, In front of my PC
Thursday, January 29 2009, 6:28PM
“To use steel you need a manufacturing industry and as most of the UK's industry packed its bags and moved to the third world countries we have as Napoleon once stated a nation of shop keepers, trouble with that is that when we all need to sell nobody is buying, so nobody sells.
We need to produce goods not just rely on the investment bank etc to make money when it goes t*ts up it happens very fast as we have now found out.
If we made goods to export with our poor pound so low we could be raking it in but no we have to import it all still.
BSC started the rot by building steel plants in 3rd world countries instead of just buying the ore from them.”
by Trigger, The Stables
Thursday, January 29 2009, 5:59PM
“Yes Mr Morley & Mandy please take the credit for this countries mess. it is really your governments fault. For the last 10 years Gordon B has endlessly repeated it, like a broken record that. He was solely responsible for this country success, and he did it all himself. He was the one that got up before daylight and delivered the milk. He was up before daylight opening up the shops. He was the one that stoked the Furnaces. He was the one that worked in low paid jobs. And he was the one who drove the Buses & Trains. So let us have it Prime Minister Brown, please please take the credit for the MESS were in and make our day”
by Mac, Scunny
Thursday, January 29 2009, 4:42PM
“It was us the workers in this country that created and built this countries success, yet its our government that tries to take all the credit. Well they for me can take the credit for the mess as well.”