British Steel has come under fire from Brigg, Scunthorpe, and Isle of Axholme MP Andrew Percy over news that, whilst it negotiates with the Government for millions of pounds in financial aid, it has warned that 800 jobs are at risk.
Mr Percy said: “As residents may remember, the Government has provided hundreds of millions of pounds of support for British Steel in recent years, including paying the wages of staff for a long period when the previous ownership collapsed.
“Since then the government has provided huge amounts of financial support for the company’s energy costs, secured British Steel greater access to overseas markets in the US, and acted to keep protections in place to keep out cheap dumped foreign steel.
“Throughout all of this, myself and Scunthorpe MP Holly Mumby-Croft have been working hard on all of those issues to help support our steelworks and to secure government support. In recent works this has involved working with Ministers on a further package of support due to the recent global challenges on energy and on the economy in general.
“As reports have made clear, the government is currently in negotiations with British Steel on this package, which would see the government provide hundreds of millions of pounds of additional support for Scunthorpe steel works.
“With these negotiations ongoing, we have all been a little blind sided by the news this week that British Steel have apparently stated that they will be looking to remove 800 jobs across their business.
“This is no way to behave whilst negotiations on a huge government package are still under way, and it is no way to treat workers. The government rightly expects British Steel to maintain the current levels of staffing whilst these negotiations continue.”
