OVER 200 steelworkers from all over the country marched from Trafalgar Square to a rally in Parliament Square yesterday morning.
They are fighting against the threat to thousands of jobs and demanding government support for the industry.
They were joined in Trafalgar Square by over 100 striking health workers from the South London and Maudsley (SLaM) Trust, who were marching on Downing St at the same time.
The Unite, GMB and Community union members from Llanelli and Port Talbot in south Wales and Shotton in north Wales, along with colleagues from Rotherham in Yorkshire and from the north east, marched with their banners to Parliament.
In Parliament Square, Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham said: ‘The fight to save steel starts today, it does not end today.
‘Countless restructurings have meant we have lost jobs, jobs and more jobs.
‘We need real resources from the government and Unite will put our resources in as well.
‘We are going to fight for your jobs. UK steel is on a precipice and if we don’t act now it will be gone.
‘Steel is a foundation industry. How can we build on our defence, manufacturing and hospitals without steel?
‘We are one of the 15% top countries that use steel but we make less steel than Belgium.
‘There are solutions, by 2030 there will be a massive demand for green steel. Why can’t we be leaders in the production of green steal. There is no point in talking about growing the economy if you are going to decimate the steel industry.
‘How can it be right to build projects that don’t use steel manufactured in the UK?
‘We should own our own steel. We need long-term investment, proper transition of jobs. We are meeting Keir Starmer later and we will be making clear you must back workers, back communities and back UK steel.’
Tata Steelworker Paul Davies from Llanelli, told News Line: ‘The steel industry needs to be nationalised to secure our future and 650 jobs at Llanelli.’
Mark Shervington, a Community union member from Bristol, said: ‘We want government help for the steel industry. It should be taken back in-house because whole communities are under threat.’