STEEL unions have pledged their support to workers furious they will not be getting a pay rise this year.

Last week, Anglo-Dutch steel company Corus said it was freezing the pay of UK staff while giving Dutch workers a seven per cent rise. The move was seen as a further kick in the teeth for the UK workforce.

Last year, the company announced it was shedding 6,000 jobs nationwide - including 1,100 on Teesside - as part of a cost-cutting exercise, blaming over-capacity in the market and the strength of the pound against the euro.

North-East workers have said they want to fight for their pay rise and Tony Poynter, chairman of the multi-union steel committee on Teesside, has said the issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the national executive, on March 18.

Yesterday, the committee of the Iron and Trade Steel Confederation (ISTC) said it would support any decision taken by branches.

Michael Leahy, general secretary of the union, said: "The ISTC is currently consulting its members before going back to Corus.

"In the meantime, the executive has resolved that it will support any decision that a branch takes in response to Corus's unacceptable action.