Displaying items by tag: British Steel

The Government has offered to buy the critical raw materials - particularly coking coal - needed to keep British Steel’s blast furnaces running in Scunthorpe. Without this urgent purchase, steel production could halt within weeks and may not be restartable. The offer is directed to Chinese owner Jingye, which has deemed the plant financially unsustainable. Talks continue between British Steel and government officials, with ministers preferring a commercial solution but not ruling out nationalisation. One of the two furnaces, 'Bess,' is scheduled for temporary shutdown on 14 April to conserve remaining materials. The Government hopes to buy time for further negotiations, though frustrations with Jingye’s perceived withdrawal have grown. A new long-term partner may be sought. Unions warn of an 'extreme emergency' and are calling for nationalisation to protect 2,700 jobs and preserve UK steelmaking. A final decision must be made within days to secure new coal and iron ore supplies.

As the Government looks for a new owner for British Steel, Liberty Steel has been flagged as a potential buyer, with a clear interest in the Scunthorpe plant. At present 5,000 jobs are at risk: 3,000 at Scunthorpe, another 800 in north-eastern England, and the rest in various sites around the world. The workers’ wages this week have been paid, and the Government will pick up the bill from now on. Pray for the workforce, in Scunthorpe and elsewhere, now in shock; for the families with mortgages on their homes not knowing where their next paycheck will come from; and for local shop owners who rely on steelworkers for their income. Pray for vision, skill, and wise investment in the British steel industry, enabling it to flourish and for jobs to be retained. See