Tata’s steelworks at Port Talbot, South Wales. Photo Chris Goddard/shutterstock.com.
At the end of May, Unite, one of three unions representing workers at Tata’s Port Talbot site (along with Community and GMB), confirmed that it would begin industrial action from 18 June in protest at Tata’s plans to close blast furnaces in there over the next three months. Other steel unions have not yet declared a date for industrial action.
On Thursday 6 June, around 250 workers were brought together in a room at Tata Steel in Port Talbot. The invitation to the meeting said it was to discuss the consultation period with workers and it was described as a “business update”.
However, the workers very quickly realised that wouldn’t be the case – instead they were told to fill in a “declaration of participation in industrial action” to let management know of their intentions.
Unite members reported that during the meeting, senior management physically blocked the doorways to the room to stop them leaving, as well as blocking the corridors leading outside the plant. Management staff then made sure everybody had filled in the form.
One worker called the behaviour of management “unethical” and said it went against all of Tata Steel’s “supposed values”, adding that Tata was trying to undermine union membership by asking individuals to sign the form.
Unite has since reported that Tata has agreed to stop any such meetings in the future. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will not stand for these bully-boy practices by Tata. Our reps have put a quick end to this despicable tactic and it will not be tolerated in future.”