Tata Steel confirms 1,000 job cuts in UK as talks with workers kick off
London, Nov 27: Tata Steel Europe said it had begun consultations with the European Works Council (EWC) on Wednesday on restructuring plans for its business, which would include up to 3,000 job losses 1,000 of which will be in the UK.
The job cuts had been announced by the Indian steel major last week as part of a wider transformation programme as it blamed ongoing losses and continued global headwinds faced by the steel industry.
As part of the comprehensive set of proposals, Tata Steel Europe intends to lower employment costs, the company statement said.
This is expected to lead to an estimated reduction in employee numbers of up to 3,000, about two-thirds of which would be management and office-based roles. Up to 1,600 are expected in the Netherlands, 1,000 in the UK and 350 elsewhere in the world, it said.
Tata Steel said it aims to build a financially strong and sustainable European business, able to make the investments required to accelerate innovation and the company's journey towards carbon-neutral steelmaking.
Tata Steel in Europe CEO, Henrik Adam, said: I'm very proud to see the dedication of everyone in this business, determined to succeed even in the face of a very tough market. I also understand and appreciate colleagues' concerns about these proposals.
Change creates uncertainty, but we cannot afford to stand still as a company the world around us is changing fast and we have to adapt. Our strategy is to build a strong and stable European business, capable of making significant investments needed for a successful future.
During the meeting this week, which marked the official start of the employee consultation process with the EWC workers' unions, Tata Steel Europe said it had shared initial proposals about its transformation programme, focused across three other key areas besides lowering employment costs to improve the company's financial performance.
Increasing sales of higher-value steels by improving product mix and customer focus; efficiency gains by optimising production processes, supported by the application of big data and advanced analytics; and reduction of procurement costs through smarter sourcing and strengthening cooperation with companies within the Tata Steel group are among the other key focus areas of the company's plans.
Tata Steel said it agreed with the EWC on a forward process and will meet again in the coming weeks to discuss further details, with employees and other stakeholders kept updated during the process.
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
