STEEL union representatives from Teesside and across the UK yesterday condemned the Government for not acting to ease the impact sterling is having on manufacturing.
At the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC) conference in Jersey, delegates unanimously passed a motion demanding that the Chancellor Gordon Brown intervene to reduce interest rates, strengthen the Euro and weaken the pound.
Moving the motion, Ian Crichton, who represents managers at Corus on Teesside, said: "If the Government does not start to grasp our problems and react with decisive initiatives we may not be far away from a situation which would dwarf the Longbridge crisis.
"Isn't it appalling that there are now more people employed in Indian restaurants in the UK than employed in steel, shipbuilding and coal mining combined?
"God forbid, but if this country ever again finds itself under threat we will not have the wherewithal to provide our own tanks, ships and submarines.
"We would be reduced to flinging chicken tikka at the enemy."
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