WITH the first compulsory redundancies expected to hit the doormats and desks of workers at the Lackenby plant in Redcar next week, the festive season has started badly at the former British Steel - and it is likely to get worse.

Next week regional union leaders from the Iron and Steel Trade Confederation (ISTC) will relay to the national body what action its members want to see taken.

Not since the days of Sir Ian McGregor, which saw the removal of whole steelworks in towns like Consett, has the feeling in the industry been so pessimistic.

But the decisions of the early 80s, which erased from the British landscape large swathes of the industry as well as devastating communities, were borne out of the realisation that Britain's steel industry in the 60s and 70s was grossly over-manned with too much capacity for a shrinking world market.

When Sir Ian took over as the steel industry chairman in 1979, profit was his priority.

Today British Steel is Corus, the Anglo-Dutch group formed from British Steel's merger with Dutch group Hoogovens a year ago.

In its drive for improved productivity it has cut a total of 4,000 jobs from its workforce since June, including 760 redundancies at the group's Teesside operations at Lackenby, Redcar and the Grangetown Research Centre.

What is more worrying for the workers, following the resignation of two top executives at Corus, is that its restructuring programme appears far from over.

An acrimonious meeting between leaders of the ISTC and Corus management was held this week, with redundancies at Teesside high on the agenda.

Eddie Lynch, assistant general secretary of the ISTC, said: "We are very disappointed at the outcome of the meeting with Corus.

"It seems that Corus is hell bent on forcing through compulsory redundancies even though we were given assurances from the start that under no circumstances this would happen.

"We now have no option other than to consult with our local branches, namely in Teesside and Scunthorpe, to put to them the severe problems we now face and seek their support and advice on what action we can take together to ensure that jobs are safeguarded."

Although refusing to say exactly what that action may be, it appears likely that union members will favour a ballot for industrial action.

Mr Lynch added: "A lot is at risk, not only to the well being of our manufacturing base, but to the communities in which our members live. We are not prepared to see whole communities wiped out because Corus has gone back on its word."

The phrase "communities being wiped out" in relation to the steel industry was last used during the dark days of the early 80s. The coming months will see whether that proves correct, but it will most certainly be a time of concern for the thousands of families in the region reliant on the steelworks for their very futures.

lThe gloom in the Teesside manufacturing sector continued yesterday after it was revealed that chemical distribution firm Bulkhaul, owned by Middlesbrough FC chairman Steve Gibson, had made 15 staff redundant. A statement said: "We have made 15 people redundant in line with the downturn in manufacturing.