More than a century on, Community is still fighting for the future of UK steel

30,000 high-quality and well-paid jobs in steelworks across the UK. Tens of thousands more jobs through critical supply chains. Community has represented Britain’s steelworkers for more than a hundred years, as a stalwart defender of the industry and a responsible partner in facing the serious challenges our steelworkers face.

Last week, the latest Business Secretary said “nothing is ever a given” when asked whether the UK would always need to have a steel industry. However, to our members, to steelworkers across the country, to their families, to their communities and to our economy, the steel industry is an absolute necessity.

In the world’s largest economies, China, the US and Japan, a strong steel sector is a central part of their industries. It works in partnership with other sectors of the economy, and it is the diversity of these economies that gives them their strength. Britain needs a strong steel industry for a prosperous and resilient economy, to deliver net zero, to protect our national security and to keep high-quality, highly skilled and unionised jobs in places that really need them.

The average steel salary is 59% higher than the regional average in Wales, Yorkshire and Humberside where steel jobs are concentrated. These jobs are vital to whole communities. 88% of our steel members tell us that they are the main earner in their household. A lost job isn’t just one person’s terrible story; it impacts partners, families, businesses and already threatened local economies.

We have seen the devastating impact steelworks closing can have. For our members working in Redcar, 80% reported earnings above £30,000 before the closure in 2015, whereas only a third did so for their jobs following the steelworks closure. The impact of this closure is still being felt and will continue to hurt the next generation. It is unthinkable that the government could repeat this mistake in other steel towns across the country.

Without government support, we are at risk of losing our steel industry entirely, and the tens of thousands of jobs it provides, only to rely on cheap imports from countries that don’t follow our high standards. It would be nothing short of betrayal. It’s no wonder 98% of steel communities think it is important we make steel in the UK rather than import it.

Our members and steelworkers across the country remember the promises made by Conservative Prime Ministers that leaving the EU would lead to stronger support for our steel industry on issues like energy costs and procurement. It is shameful that we are still waiting for those promises to be delivered. Our steel industry cannot succeed if we continue paying twice as much for energy as our EU competitors, and our industry cannot decarbonise and create the new green steel we need to reach net zero if there is no partnership with government.

Progress is sorely needed to secure a long-term future for UK steel, most immediately by tackling excessive energy costs, but with an overarching goal of providing the investment and policies required to transition the sector to a green future. The UK is lagging behind whilst other European countries are championing this vital transition.

With the right strategy, investment and ambition, there are big opportunities ahead for the steel industry. Growing our manufacturing sector is an essential element of a successful economy. That’s why our members strongly welcome Labour’s £3bn investment pledge for industry to ensure the coming generation of green steel is built in the UK.

However, we need the government to urgently act so the industry can play a key role in the world in providing low-carbon, high-quality steel for green infrastructure and manufacturing and continue to support thousands of well-paid, highly skilled jobs in the UK.

With one hundred years of representing steel workers, Community has a proud history of championing this essential industry. We know just how great a challenge we face, but equally, we see the enormous potential of steel as a pillar of our economy and our communities. As a union, we will not only continue to fight for the industry as it is but to ensure it grows and thrives, providing the well-paid, secure, green jobs of the future.