British Steel employees express fears over future of Scunthorpe plant | UK News

MPs are planning to discuss emergency legislation to keep the British steel plant in scunthorpe open in a move that will pave the way for nationalization.

The rare Saturday session of parliament Will come after Jingye, the Chinese owner of the steelwork, canceled orders for the raw materials needed to run the UK’s last ovens.

Jingye also rejected a £ 500m state rescue package in a move that suffered fresh doubts about the 3.500 jobs on the Lincolnshire plant – and feared that the site would be forced to close as early as next week.

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Here we talk to current employees of the Steelworks about how they feel about the uncertainty about the future.

‘A lot of anxiety on the steelworks’

Steve, who did not give his surname, works for British stealing and believes it is important that the plant be taken in public ownership.

He said: “If the government does not step up in some form, they basically send us back to the Stone Age.

‘We will not be in a position where we can produce pure iron, pure steel, with all the conflicts in the world and all the rest of it.

“And if you do not have ovens, you will be attached to a barrel, while the rest of the world asks you what they want to load to produce steel.‘

He added: “I don’t believe the Chinese are interested in keeping the place open.”

Steve said as an employee that he saw “a lot of anxiety on the steel works” and continued: “Many people are worried about losing their homes, their mortgages … It’s not a good situation to be at the moment.”

“We had a lot of turmoil”

Steve Woodcock, a chief engineer at the Steelworks, said the ‘Chinese need to go’ and the government must nationalize the plant.

He said: “The government must come in, start to deduce it from the front and then we can move forward. The country needs us … We want to be there for the country.

“We have been abandoned by many companies over the years … We have been very turmoil over the years … so the government has to step in.”

When asked how he felt about the future of his work, he said: ‘I don’t want anyone to lose their jobs. We have a lot of capable people and that’s why I want it to stay like that. I am passionate about the business, like everyone who works there I know.

“I don’t want to get a job elsewhere. I enjoy the work I do there. ‘

‘A very narrow situation’

Martin Grimbleby has been working at the plant for 20 years and is concerned about the loss of his work.

He continued, ‘I have a young family … they tell me’ what’s going to happen, dad, if the place closes? “Should we move home? ‘

“It’s just a very narrow situation. I am at an age where I do not want to go for another interview or something.

“For me, it was a job for life and it was a job for me to look after my family.

“My dad worked there in front of me, I just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

When asked what he thought would be the impact if the plant had to close, he replied: ‘It would destroy this place.

‘It Can also be a waste site afterwards. Once the steelworks have closed, it is. After the steelworks, there is nothing left of Scunthorpe. In my opinion, nothing. ‘

Mr. Grimbleby also believes that the best thing for the plant is now ‘pure government nationalization’.

Scunthorpe ‘as a city will end’ if the plant closes

Steve Brown does not work at the plant, but said he knew many retired former employees who were “ruined” about the problems facing the steel works.

He also knows apprentices who learn their trade at the plant and added: ‘They are 18 to 20 years old – it is devastating to them, because if it closes, which I understand that it is not, because I heard that the government will tackle it and nationalize it, but if they do not, he will not end a town. “

Mr. Brown added that he thinks it is a shame that the legislation discussed on Saturday stops the full nationalization.

He continued: ‘It’s not just the steel workers … it’s all the businesses that support them and rely on their business.‘

Mr. Brown added that he was “ruined” when Jingye took over the steel works and he didn’t think it should have “ever happened”.

He said: “I said from the first day that all the Chinese want to do to learn how to make brilliant steel, as we always did in scunthorpe, and as soon as they learn how to do it, take it back to China and make British steal – and that’s exactly what happens, because imported steel is junk.”