Business secretary announces ‘better deal’ for Port Talbot
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds announces a “better deal” for workers at Tata Steel’s site at Port Talbot which includes improved redundancy terms and the offer of a skills package. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00So I would like to start with an apology to the people of Port Talbot, because they were
00:05let down by the previous government. And whilst this deal is much improved, I acknowledge
00:10very much it falls short of what would be my ideal. However, I have been to Port Talbot
00:17several times. I've met the workforce there, the reps, the generations of families who
00:21have literally forged Port Talbot as we knew it. And that's why, when Tata first announced
00:27they would be closing the blast furnaces, with some 2,800 job losses with them, I knew
00:32the workforce deserved so much better. I warned my predecessor not to proceed with what they
00:38had negotiated. Why? Because I was confident the government could secure a better deal.
00:43A better deal for Tata's workers, and a better deal for the people of Port Talbot.
00:48And Mr Speaker, I'm able to announce today that this government has secured that better
00:53deal. But I reiterate, had we had the opportunity that the previous government had over so many
01:01years, we could have done more. The key features are as follows. I can announce today that
01:08we've agreed a process with Tata to assess investment opportunities for new, additional
01:13capabilities that will deliver more secure, long-term jobs than the deal that we inherited.
01:19This is on top of the plans for the instalment of the electric arc furnace. We have agreed
01:25a process with Tata to take this forward, and I'll be able to report back to the House
01:29on this progress.