Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Welsh first minister to ask Tata bosses not to shut down blast furnaces

Tata Steel rejected a union proposal to maintain one blast furnace while transitioning to greener steel production at the Port Talbot plant.

Welsh first minister to ask Tata bosses not to shut down blast furnaces

The first minister of Wales is set to travel to India next week to engage with Tata executives regarding the future of steel production in his country.

Vaughan Gething said that he plans to visit Mumbai to advocate for retaining the blast furnaces at Port Talbot, as reported by the BBC.


He emphasised the importance of avoiding "hard compulsory redundancies" and will urge Tata to reconsider their decision.

Tata Steel rejected a union proposal to maintain one blast furnace while transitioning to greener steel production at the Port Talbot plant.

Approximately 2,800 jobs are at risk across Tata's UK operations, with a significant portion in Port Talbot, the largest steel plant in the UK.

The company currently employs 4,000 workers at Port Talbot and will initiate a voluntary redundancy process in May.

The Mumbai-headquartered steelmaker plans to close two old blast furnaces at Britain’s biggest steel plant as part of its £1.25-billion investment to transition to electric arc furnaces.

Tata has rejected a plan from unions to keep one blast furnace running for a transition period to ensure a “just transition” to greener steelmaking, terming it financially and operationally unviable.

The company claims the unions’ proposal would result in at least £1.6 billion of additional costs and put the factory’s future continuity in jeopardy.

In addition to Port Talbot, Tata operates steel processing sites in Llanwern, Shotton, Trostre, and Caerphilly in Wales.

Gething addressed the Senedd, stating, "Next week, I plan to go to Mumbai to meet Tata to press the case again not just for the alternative but a clear case that we have continued to make and will continue to make for there to be no hard compulsory redundancies."

Tata's recent decision to secure the future of steelmaking at the site was backed by a £500 million contribution from the UK government.

Steel unions have criticised the decision and are considering strike action.

More For You

Sir Sajid Javid leads commission 'tackling social divisions'

Sir Sajid Javid (Photo by Tom Nicholson-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Sir Sajid Javid leads commission 'tackling social divisions'

A cross-party group has been formed to tackle the deep divisions that sparked last summer's riots across England. The new commission will be led by former Tory minister Sir Sajid Javid and ex-Labour MP Jon Cruddas.

The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion has backing from both prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. It brings together 19 experts from different political parties and walks of life.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Masum

Masum was seen on CCTV trying to steer the pram away and, when she refused to go with him, stabbed her multiple times before walking away and boarding a bus. (Photo: West Yorkshire Police)

West Yorkshire Police

Habibur Masum convicted of murdering estranged wife in front of baby

A MAN who stabbed his estranged wife to death in Bradford in front of their baby has been convicted of murder.

Habibur Masum, 26, attacked 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter in broad daylight on April 6, 2024, stabbing her more than 25 times while she pushed their seven-month-old son in a pram. The baby was not harmed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

India declines UN investigator’s participation in Air India crash probe: Report

INDIA has declined a request from the United Nations aviation agency to allow one of its investigators to observe the probe into the Air India crash that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad on June 12, Reuters reported, citing two senior sources familiar with the matter.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had offered to provide assistance by sending one of its investigators, following the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner earlier this month. It was an unusual move, as ICAO typically deploys investigators only upon request from the country leading the investigation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anna Wintour

Wintour’s style of leadership earned her the nickname “Nuclear Wintour”

Getty Images

Anna Wintour steps down as editor of US Vogue after 37 years

Key points

  • Anna Wintour steps down as editor of US Vogue after 37 years
  • She will remain Vogue’s global editorial director and hold senior roles at Condé Nast
  • Wintour transformed US Vogue into a global fashion authority
  • The 75-year-old has received numerous honours, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom

End of an era at US Vogue

Anna Wintour has stepped down as the editor of US Vogue, bringing to a close a 37-year tenure that redefined the publication and saw her become one of the most influential figures in global fashion.

The announcement was made on Thursday (26 June) during a staff meeting in New York. Wintour, 75, will no longer oversee the day-to-day editorial operations of Vogue’s US edition. However, she will continue to serve as Vogue’s global editorial director and Condé Nast’s chief content officer, maintaining senior leadership roles across the company.

Keep ReadingShow less
Post Office scandal trials 'unlikely before 2028'

FILE PHOTO: A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London. (Photo: Getty Images)

Post Office scandal trials 'unlikely before 2028'

THE people responsible for the Post Office Horizon scandal may not face trial until 2028, according to the senior police officer leading the investigation.

Commander Stephen Clayman has said that the process is taking longer because police are now looking at a wider group of people, not just those directly involved in decisions about the faulty Horizon computer system, reported the Telegraph.

Keep ReadingShow less