Responding to the announcement by Tata Steel that it intends to close its Cogent business in Newport, Roy Rickhuss, General Secretary of the steelworkers’ trade union Community, said:

“This is shocking news, which makes a mockery of the understanding we reached with Tata around the jobs guarantee. There has been no consultation about this proposal either at UK or European level and company management should hang their heads in shame in the way this has come about. This is of course extremely devastating news for workers at the Orb, but all Tata Steel workers should be concerned by the way Tata is breaking its commitments.

“We are opposed to plant closures and compulsory redundancies and therefore the company should be aware that we will be considering all options, up to and including industrial action, in defence of our members’ livelihoods.

“We also call on the government to intervene. Ministers were closely involved in securing commitments from Tata over the future of the business. At a time when the government wants to decarbonise the economy and support a switch to electric vehicles, losing the UK’s only producer of electrical steels would be a grave error.”