UNION leaders on Teesside will meet tomorrow in a bid to discover more details about proposed redundancies in the steel industry.

The multi-union committee will get together on the Corus site at Redcar five days after hearing of the devastating news that the firm was planning to shed 530 staff.

Mick Adams of the Iron and Steel Trades Federation (ISTF) said: "We are hoping to find out more on Wednesday about what departments at Corus these job losses will affect."

Friday's body blow came less than a month after the firm announced the closure of the former British Steel's research centre in Middlesbrough, where more than 230 currently work, amongst almost 1,500 job losses nationwide.

Corus also announced disappointing half-year results in July, and many in the industry believe more job losses will follow Friday's announcement.

The company yesterday revealed that it was beginning its purge by writing to all over 50s in the workforce to ask if they wanted to take voluntary redundancy.

The unions re-iterated their stance that any negotiations with management on redundacies will will only be on voluntary redundancy.

Mr Adams added: "We will discuss voluntary redindancies with management, but we are not interested in discussions on compulsory redundancies."