Should the Steel Industry be Saved?

[Maggie/915]

I think we will always need this industry . Surely something can be done before it is to late.

Market forces and the profit motive could have serious implications for the future.

Those of us old enough to remember the mines closing here in Bedlington were sold a line about 'not needing the coal anymore'. The opencast coal operations still going strong are proof that it is still needed. The huge profits to be made have given us Northumberlandia.

Now we may see more work at Widdrington.

I hope something is done before it is too late.

If the banks could be saved surely money could be found to save the steel industry.

Transporting everything we need from all around the World is controversial.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

I agree. 

[Tonyp]

Hi Maggie I hope so our gaffer Roy was part of the delegation that went to India last week,but we didn't get a good response ,but he is still working hard for his members,he is hoping he can persuade Cameron to help but I can't see much happing on that front if I am been honest.on I lighter note I saw Barrie Evans been interviewed on news at ten.At Port Talbot I did my union reps traning with him at Northampton . I do hope something can be sorted or it could be another comunity wrecker on a Tory watch .

 

 

 

 

[moe19]

.

As we know the  root of the problem in the British steel industry is the glut of cheap steel imported from China, whose government subsidises its own loss-making industry. This allows Chinese firms to export steel around the world at rock-bottom prices.America is  imposing  tariffs of 256 per cent of the value on imports on some steels from China.The EU, by contrast, has imposed much lighter tariffs of between 9. and 13 per cent. Under the EU’s ‘lesser duty’ rules.

Another  reason for the crisis in the British steel industry is the Climate Change Act. Steel-making is hugely energy intensive  but we no longer have cheap energy available.The reason is that  green taxes and levies have been introduced in an attempt to meet the  target for cutting UK carbon emissions.Thanks to Labour’s climate change levy, and also the renewable  obligation forcing energy suppliers to buy a certain amount of their electricity from renewable sources.British steel  has to pay 20-30 per cent more for its electricity than if it were making steel in Germany, and 50 per cent more than if it were in France.

I doubt if many  of us would want to go back to the days of nationalised industries propped up by the taxpayer. but its unlikely as EU rules  prevent subsidizing UK industry if it can lead to an unfair advantage against other member states.even in situations such as Port Talbot where you have the  works temporarily brought to its knees by low global steel prices.

Once again the UK plays by the rules while others give us the two finger salute .

Looks like yet another good reason the leave the EU.

[threegee]

It has been suggested that Tata doesn't actually want to sell Port Talbot, but wants it to fold.  Why would this be?  Well... sold, it would offer competition to its other plants, and quite amazingly it is in negotiations to actually buy German steel provider Thyssen.  So much for Tata being a friend of the UK!

One thing is very clear though, EU Dave is only offering platitudes, and is quite content to see a closure.  To the posh-boys-playing-games it's just a temporary embarrassment, and nothing must get in the way of Dave's spell as Chairman of the EU Council of Ministers next year.  Even if he loses the referendum he intends to hang on in there for his EU pension and perks.

He's never held down a real job in his entire life; can't relate to industry, let alone working people, and has absolutely no sense of country.  He thinks life entirely revolves around spin and presentation.  There are dozens of competent people in the Tory party, yet they have to foist off this Etonian prat onto us!  To top it all, there's now panic setting in that he's left the Falklands completely unprotected. Time to remove the two tinkering posh boys Tory Party - before the electorate does it for you.

 

[Malcolm Robinson]

[Maggie/915]

I feel we need an industrial base.

Very big full stop.

Market rigging surely we can and should deal with together.

We have lost so very many industries.

What have we got left?

Where do we lead the World?

Smoke and Mirrors that is perhaps  all there is left.

You can fool some of the people some of the time but surely you cannot fool all the people all of the time.

Where is that Magic / Manic wand.

Back to the Future.

'The times they are a changing '

Sadly for us all.

Who gains in all this?

Not I fear our children's children.

[webtrekker]

5 hours ago, moe19 said:

.

As we know the  root of the problem in the British steel industry is the glut of cheap steel imported from China, whose government subsidises its own loss-making industry. This allows Chinese firms to export steel around the world at rock-bottom prices.America is  imposing  tariffs of 256 per cent of the value on imports on some steels from China.The EU, by contrast, has imposed much lighter tariffs of between 9. and 13 per cent. Under the EU’s ‘lesser duty’ rules.

Another  reason for the crisis in the British steel industry is the Climate Change Act. Steel-making is hugely energy intensive  but we no longer have cheap energy available.The reason is that  green taxes and levies have been introduced in an attempt to meet the  target for cutting UK carbon emissions.Thanks to Labour’s climate change levy, and also the renewable  obligation forcing energy suppliers to buy a certain amount of their electricity from renewable sources.British steel  has to pay 20-30 per cent more for its electricity than if it were making steel in Germany, and 50 per cent more than if it were in France.

I doubt if many  of us would want to go back to the days of nationalised industries propped up by the taxpayer. but its unlikely as EU rules  prevent subsidizing UK industry if it can lead to an unfair advantage against other member states.even in situations such as Port Talbot where you have the  works temporarily brought to its knees by low global steel prices.

Once again the UK plays by the rules while others give us the two finger salute .

Looks like yet another good reason the leave the EU.

I note your mention of the Climate Change Act, moe. Of course, during all discussion of Climate Change, they ignore the Cow in the room.

 

I'm not just talking cow farts,  but the WHOLE issue of animal agriculture.

 

If we are to tackle climate change we need to know the whole truth. 

[Brian Cross]

Even in this country there is talk of closing the once massive Port Kembla steel works

with the loss of 5000 jobs mainly because of cheap Chinese and south Korean imports.

[threegee]

Boris on UK Steel:

Pity the Port Talbot workers – their country is powerless to help them
 

Quote

...at every turn we have the problem of the EU, and the objections of Brussels to anything that looks like state aids.  Even when we are trying to address our home-grown mistakes, even when we are simply trying to bring down our energy costs so that they are more in line with the rest of the EU, we face the same difficulty: we no longer call the shots, even when thousands of jobs are at stake.

When this referendum campaign began, and I said that the key issue was sovereignty, I remember people giving me pitying looks. No one cares about sovereignty, they said. Well, losing sovereignty is just a fancy way of talking about losing control – and I think people care passionately about it.