8:43am Monday 15th March 2010
UNION leaders will meet today to decide whether to press ahead with a strike ballot among thousands of steelworkers in protest at the mothballing of Corus, on Teesside.
Steel group Corus has been urged to seek a buyer for the plant or face the threat of a national dispute.
The firm has started mothballing the Teesside Cast Products plant in Redcar, threatening 1,600 jobs, after a consortium pulled out of a long term contract.
The Community Union said that hundreds of redundancy notices have already been issued, warning that the “clock was ticking” for Corus to avoid industrial action.
The union’s general secretary Michael Leahy said: “Corus have been given a window to show leadership and a commitment to their loyal workforce. Yet Corus appear more intent on defending their decision and pushing ahead with redundancies.
“Until Corus demonstrate their commitment to finding a solution and consulting effectively with their workforce, Community and the other trade unions will continue to explore the potential for industrial action.
‘‘Ultimately, if we do have to go down this route, our members will decide what action we take, but what we will not ask them to do is repeat the all-out strikes of 1980.’’ The National Steel Co-ordinating Committee, which represents all unions in Corus, will meet today to decide its next move.
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