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Redcar, UK steelworkers march to save their jobs

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:24:58 GMT

Sunday, July 19, 2009

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Corus steelworkers in Redcar, Cleveland, England marched yesterday for a campaign to save their jobs, after the closure of Redcar's steelworks was announced in May 2009.

Men, from Unite, marching
Image: David Aisbett.

Approximately 5,000 people, including employees of Redcar's steelworks, other Corus steelworks, Teesport and the local chemical industry, partook in the march, and the Australian Workers' Union also expressed their support.

Trade unions called on the government to help the plant. Roy Rickhuss, Community's National Officer for Steel, said that "we need help, we need support from the government if the manufacturing base in this country is going to survive". He also said that "the government has helped the bowler hats, now it's time to help the hard hats". Derek Simpson, of Unite the Union, was concerned that "the loss of the Corus plant will rip the heart out of this community". Community also warned that the job losses would increase child poverty rates in Teesside.

Vera Baird speaking at the march
Image: David Aisbett.

Vera Baird QC MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Redcar and Solicitor General, expressed hope that Corus at Redcar would regain its main contract. She claimed that "the government is 100% behind, and has played a key role in encouraging these negotiations to resume".

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said that "the difficulties that the company is facing are caused by an extreme downturn in demand for steel around the world". The government has offered £5 million (€5.8 million, $8.2 million) to retrain the workers.

10,000 jobs could be lost in Teesside from the closure of Redcar steelworks. 1,920 people are directly employed by Corus in Redcar, with a further 2,000 contractors being employed, and other local businesses relying on Corus' business.

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Sources [edit]

Press Release: "Community marches for Teesside" — Community (trade union), July 20, 2009
Zoe Wood. "On the march to save steel jobs" — The Observer, July 19, 2009
John Kelly. "Thousands of Corus steelworkers in Redcar march to save jobs" — Daily Mirror, July 19, 2009
"Workers stage 'save our steel' demo" — The Press Association, July 18, 2009
"Workers march to save steel plant" — BBC News Online, July 18, 2009

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Steelmaker Corus to cut 2000 jobs in the UK and Netherlands

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:05:27 GMT

Thursday, June 25, 2009

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Corus, the fifth largest steelmaker in the world, is set to cut 2000 jobs in both the United Kingdom and The Netherlands. 123 jobs are reported to be going in the Netherlands with the remainder from the United Kingdom. Corus have blamed the move on the "further deterioration" of the demand for steel in both the United States and Europe.

Corus Chief Executive Kirby Adams stated, "Any recovery in Europe appears to be some time off". He added that Corus have to achieve "long-term sustainable competitiveness in a global and over-supplied steel market". In January of this year Corus cut approximately 3,500 staff worldwide; 2,500 of them in Britain.

Peter Hogg, a commercial director at Corus, reported that the company was surprised at the extent of the global recession. He added that it is clear a full recovery is years away.

Some plants have been hit harder than others. Scunthorpe will lose 500 members of staff, with 379 going at Stocksbridge and 377 at Rotherham. Corus will also reduce operations at Hartlepool, Skinningrove and their Teesside Beam Mill, in Cleveland, where an additional 2,000 already face redundancy. A total of 11 plants in the United Kingdom are affected.

Elliot Morley, Labour Member of Parliament for Scunthorpe, told the BBC that he was disappointed with the job cuts and said he had previously told Corus that they should be a last resort. He added that this was a "sad day" for Scunthorpe.

The Community union general secretary Michael Leahy said that it was "devastating news" and spoke of his concerns for the integrity of the British steel industry.

Corus has the second largest steelmaking operation in Europe. The company was bought in 1999 by Tata Steel, part of India's Tata Group. The company has around 50,000 employees worldwide.

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Sources [edit]

"Corus cutting 2,000 UK steel jobs" — BBC News Online, June 25, 2009
"Corus 'to cut another 2,000 jobs'" — The Guardian, June 25, 2009

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Hearse key thief spared prison

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:17:03 GMT

Sunday, June 14, 2009

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David Wood, an undertaker from Middlesbrough, England, received a six month suspended prison sentence yesterday for stealing the keys of a competitor's hearse.

A Rolls-Royce Phantom VI
Image: Lars-Göran Lindgren.

Wood stole the keys of the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI hearse on 23 September 2008, outside Middlesbrough's Salvation Army citadel, as people gathered for the funeral of Patricia Thorburn.

The hearse had to be hot-wired to reach the crematorium, which caused mourners a delay of nearly an hour and large repair costs.

Wood was under the impression Joel D. Kerr, the undertaker whose keys were stolen, had poached some of his business. He told his probation officer that his actions were "stupid, pathetic and childish".

The incident was recorded on CCTV, and Wood pleaded guilty to theft. The judge, Recorder James Goss QC, told Wood that he "treated the death in this case and the funeral that was taking place with disrespect ... this is not really an offence of theft but an offence against public decency."

Wood's barrister, Peter Makepeace, apologised on behalf of his client and pointed out that since the case was reported, Wood's business has suffered. Wood himself did not comment.

In addition to his sentence, suspended for a year, Wood was ordered to pay £250 costs. A compensation hearing will occur at a later date. The keys, which Wood lost in his flight, have yet to be found.

Sources [edit]

"Undertaker spared jail for stealing rival hearse keys" — Evening Gazette (Teesside), June 13, 2009
"Hearse key undertaker avoids jail" — BBC News Online, June 12, 2009
Russell Jenkins. "Funeral director stole keys from rival's hearse during service" — The London Times, June 12, 2009
"Man in court over hearse sabotage" — Press Association, June 12, 2009

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British MP condemns deportation of man to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sat, 30 May 2009 17:19:54 GMT

Saturday, May 30, 2009

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Frank Cook, Labour Member of Parliament for Stockton North, has criticised the deportation of Blaise Kamba, a failed asylum seeker, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kamba had been in the United Kingdom since 2006; he fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo, because he feared for his life due to his political beliefs.

Kamba was deported by the UK Border Agency to Kinshasa, the capital, on Tuesday night. A church group planned to meet Kamba there, but on arrival, he was detained by Congolese authorities and taken to a high security stockade. Cook says "no one knows what his fate will be".

Cook, and 42 other MPs, signed an early day motion for an immediate moratorium on deportations to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He has also written to Phil Woolas MP, the British immigration minister, condemning the deportation. In a press release, Mr Cook said: "I... want Mr Woolas to tell me how much evidence he requires before reconsidering a policy which puts a terrible stain on the UK’s human rights record".

Cook commented that “it is an outrage that Mr Woolas and his Government colleagues seek to argue that people returning to the Congo are not at risk when the evidence proves otherwise". A 2005 BBC report found that the DRC's secret service, the Agence nationale de renseignements, detain some returning asylum seekers at the airport, in order to "show them what they did was not good".

The UK Border Agency told The Guardian on May 27 that "we continue to monitor developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and will take decisions on a case-by-case basis in light of the most current situation. The court of appeal on 3 December 2008 upheld a ruling that failed asylum seekers are not at risk of persecution or ill-treatment on return to Democratic Republic of the Congo simply because they have claimed asylum". Cook commented on this decision, saying that "the risks are very real and very severe".

Kamba's two younger sisters, however, remain in the UK.

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Sources [edit]

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

Mike Blackburn. "Stockton North MP challenges Government Immigration Minister" — Evening Gazette (Teesside), May 30, 2009
"Labour MP critical after deportee arrested" — The Press Association, May 30, 2009
Diane Taylor. "Britain sending refused Congo asylum seekers back to threat of torture" — The Guardian, May 27, 2009
Joanna Desira. "Sisters stay in Stockton as asylum seeker brother is deported" — Evening Gazette (Teesside), May 26, 2009
Jenny Cuffe. "Asylum questions for DR Congo" — BBC News Online, December 1, 2005

External links [edit]

Rudi Vis MP. "Deportations to the Democratic Republic of the Congo" — UK Parliament, February 23, 2009

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2,000 face redundancy at English steelworks

Sat, 09 May 2009 17:05:09 GMT

Saturday, May 9, 2009

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Corus Group, the world's fifth largest steel producer, announced on Friday that it may be forced to mothball its steelworks in Redcar, England. This move would threaten the jobs of the works' 1,920 employees.

A part of the steelworks
Image: Ralph Gant.

Corus may be forced to close its Teesside operations as a consortium has refused to honour a 10-year contract with Corus' Teesside Cast Products, which accounted for 78% of the plant's operations. Corus' chief executive, Kirby Adams, said he was "extremely disappointed that the consortium members have seen fit to take this irresponsible action."

Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, said "it is essential that Corus does everything it can legally, and with the government's assistance, to reinstate the agreement". Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister, shared this view saying, "We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the contract is upheld." Mandelson also said "we are not prepared to reconcile ourselves to the inevitable closure of this plant".

The leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, Councillor George Dunning, said "Today is like being hit by a mini earthquake compared to what's happened in the past."

Martin Callanan and Stephen Hughes, Tory, and Labour MEPs for North East England, supported the idea that the government should subsidise wages in the plant on a temporary basis. Hughes and Fiona Hall, Lib Dem MEP, suggested that the government should apply to the EU's Globalisation Adjustment Fund. Hall said "if the worst comes to the worst and jobs are indeed lost, I trust the Government will change its mind and support an application to the European Globalisation Fund in order to fund skills training for those who have lost their jobs."

This move could "bring to an end a fine heritage of steelmaking at Teesside", according to Adams. Steelworks in Teesside, which previously belonged to British Steel and Dorman Long, produced steel for famous structures like the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Corus had said it was likely there would be a "very significant number of redundancies" and a 90-day consultation period is due to begin.

Corus' owner, Tata Steel, are also facing difficulties with another UK operation, automobile company Jaguar Land Rover.

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Sources [edit]

Wikipedia has more about this subject:

Corus Group

"Steel plant could shed 2,000 jobs" — BBC News Online, May 8, 2009
"Moves to allay Corus takeover collapse fears" — The Journal (newspaper), April 30, 2009
Press Release: "Shock and sadness over proposed steel industry cuts" — Redcar and Cleveland, May 8, 2009
Sudeshna Sen. "Corus may shut Teesside mill, more than 3000 jobs at risk" — The Economic Times, May 8, 2009
"2,000 jobs at risk after Corus client ends deal" — The Times, May 8, 2009
Press Release: Bob Jones. "Consortium’s termination of contract triggers consultations on future of Teesside" — Corus Group, May 8, 2009
S Kalyana Ramanathan & Ishita Ayan Dutt. "Little option but to close UK unit: Tata" — Business Standard, May 10, 2009
Dave Robson. "Save our steel campaign relaunched to help save Corus" — Evening Gazette (Teesside), May 9, 2009
Press Release: "Government must do everything to secure threatened Corus jobs" — Fiona Hall MEP, May 8, 2009

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Accident on set of British television program Heartbeat

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:10:44 GMT

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

An accident on the set of British television show Heartbeat has taken place, involving five cast and crew members who are yet to be identified. It is believed that a tractor rolled down an embankment while filming near Whitby, North Yorkshire. Police say that none of the injuries is said to be life-threatening.

A spokeswoman for the ITV show released a statement saying that a guest actor received chest injuries. One actor was flown to Middlesbrough, one was taken to a hospital in Whitby and the remaining three were taken to Scarborough's district hospital. Four of the victims have been released.

Heartbeat is a television drama set in the 1960s which follows a group of police officers in Yorkshire. The show has also brought about a medical spin-off, The Royal. Heartbeat returns to British television later in the year.

The Health and Safety Executive is investigating the circumstances of the accident.

British newspapers have reported that the current series, the 18th, will be the last and both Heartbeat and The Royal will not be recommissioned.

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Sources [edit]

"Tractor accident on Heartbeat set" — BBC News Online, January 27, 2009

"Tractor crash drama during Heartbeat filming" — Whitby Gazette, January 27, 2009

"ITV axes popular police drama Heartbeat" — The Daily Telegraph, January 28, 2009

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Redcar, UK steelworkers march to save their jobs

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Sources [edit]

Steelmaker Corus to cut 2000 jobs in the UK and Netherlands

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Sources [edit]

Hearse key thief spared prison

Sources [edit]

British MP condemns deportation of man to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sources [edit]

External links [edit]

2,000 face redundancy at English steelworks

Sources [edit]

Accident on set of British television program Heartbeat

Sources [edit]