British Steel at Scunthorpe, which employs 2,700 workers dominates the Scunthorpe skyline. There has been a steelworks on the site since the 19th century, when ironstone was discovered there.
Scunthorpe steelworks and the unions
The steelworks is also a bastion of trade unionism. Unite union convenor Martin Foster started at the steelworks 1978 and is from a family with a long history in the steel industry. His grandfather was a bricklayer at the town’s former Normanby Park steelworks. Steel and trade unionism are in Martin’s DNA.
“The closure of the steelworks would probably have meant the end of Scunthorpe as we know it,” he says. “Other business in the supply chain in the area would have faced closure and the community would have been badly hit. There maybe have been new business parks built – but they won’ be in manufacturing and will not replace the well-paid, unionised jobs we have in the steel industry.”
Scunthorpe is a multi-union site consisting of Community, GMB and Unite plus white-collar staff and managers are also in union membership in Unite’s SIMA branch.
Martin says, “The unions work together – seamlessly. We speak with one voice – it’s the only way to fight back. Thousands of families depend on having the steelworks works here”.
Takeover and micromanagement by Jingye
Foster recounts the takeover of the steelworks by the Chinese company Jingye in 2016, who acquired the company from Tata Steel. “They made promises. There was some investment – they did invest £300mn but there was no delivery. They micromanaged everything. Each department had a deputy manager who reported back to the boss Mr Li in China. Our managers we told exactly what to do and when to do it – they wouldn’t let UK managers get on and do their jobs.
“What we do know is that they have been angling to get rid of the plant for some time. None of it was transparent. Kemi Badenoch says as a government minister she was in ‘negotiations’ with Jingye. If she was, that’s the first I have heard of it.
“Whilst some politicians claim to have known about the future of the plant for many months, the truth is the unions only got wind of it and sussed out plans about two months ago. We thought they would announce the shut down the furnaces possibly by the end of the year or in early 2026. But they brought things forward to pile pressure on the government. This is not a company who negotiate. They tell you what they want and if you don’t agree they threaten to walk away.
“I don’t think they understand trade unionism or solidarity and the fact that we were not going to let them just shut the plant down by turning off the blast furnaces. The unions also have trust with plant managers. It was clear that Jingye were looking to sell coke vital for the plant, 55,000 tons of it stuck out at sea, along with vital material stockpiled at Immingham.”
Crunch time for Scunthorpe steelworks
I asked Matin how come Nigel Farage managed to get on site? “Somebody snuck him in. We have our suspicions. It was a stunt. He didn’t meet or talk to anyone and he and the people with him were photographed holding up five-year-old leaflets!”
The crunch came on the morning of 11 April. “Thats the date Jingye wanted to shut down the furnaces – two weeks earlier than the May date that they had announced. That morning the unions all worked to make sure the government knew what was happening. We pulled all the levers we could to alert the government of what was going on.
“By lunchtime we thought we were finished – but then the news came through that the government was taking control of the plant and had recalled parliament. We breathed a sigh of relief. Taking government control was the best option. It would have taken time to get nationalisation legislation through parliament. It was time we just didn’t have.”
Government action to rescue steel industry
Martin says he thought that government ministers were “a bit slow off the mark”, but says from then on they moved quickly. “When Chinese managers attempted to enter offices in the building on 12 April, we re-acted and refused them entry.
“What do I think will happen next? Nationalisation, finding a partner company. Then transition to electric arc furnaces.
“I have no doubt we will be in for rollercoaster ride. My wife, Julie has lived every minute of it with me and never once complained. Her support and the support of all the families and community is what’s helped us get to this stage.
“April 11th was the proudest day of my many years as a union rep. It proved that standing together and the solidarity of trade unionism works.”
