Tata bosses face Port Talbot steel closure grilling by MPs

Tata Steel bosses will this week face a grilling by MPs over its decision to shut down the blast furnaces at its Port Talbot plant with the potential loss of 2,800 jobs.

The Indian-owned firm is switching to greener electric arc furnaces – a move backed by £500m in UK Government support. 

But it will mean fewer jobs at the South Wales plant, where 8,000 are employed.

Tata Steel’s global chief executive T.V. Narendran will be questioned on Wednesday by the Commons Welsh Affairs Committee, alongside Rajesh Nair, Tata’s UK chief executive. MPs will also hear from trade unions and ministers.

This month’s closure announcement has been described as ‘absolutely devastating’ for the local community and branded ‘industrial vandalism on a grand scale’ by unions.

Tata said blast furnace production was no longer ‘feasible or affordable’ and that its move would secure most of its UK production capacity while reducing CO2 emissions by 5m tons per year and overall UK emissions by about 1.5 per cent. 

But it was accused of hypocrisy for preparing to open a new blast furnace in India.