Unions have 'constructive' meeting with British Steel's Chinese owner

The statement from the three unions said: "National officials from the steel unions held a constructive meeting with Jingye today where we presented the report from our expert consultants, Syndex, which assesses the decarbonisation strategy for British Steel. In the meeting, we emphasised our support for the recommendations contained in the report, including the strong recommendation to operate two blast furnaces at Scunthorpe to facilitate a smooth and low-risk transition.

"We look forward to further discussions with Jingye on the plan prepared by Syndex, and we stand ready to work with the company to secure jobs and a long-term future for British Steel. If these talks are to lead to a successful outcome, the UK Government must make good on its promises to steelworkers by supporting the huge investments required to successfully transition to greener steelmaking."

Alasdair McDiarmid, Community's assistant general secretary, commented: "We welcomed the opportunity to meet with representatives from Jingye today. We held productive conversations on the report prepared by Syndex, which lays out proposals that support the company's ambitions for decarbonisation at Scunthorpe whilst ensuring a fairer transition for the dedicated workforce. We welcome Jingye's meaningful engagement with unions on the report from Syndex, and we will be looking to resume discussions with the company at the earliest possible opportunity "In the meantime, the UK Government needs to step up and be ready to commit the money they have earmarked to enable British Steel to decarbonise in the right way. Workers at Scunthorpe are counting on the government to work with the company and unions at this critical juncture."