Tata Steel Workers' Anxious Wait Over Job Cuts

The first of the hundreds of steel workers in Port Talbot threatened with job losses will learn their fate in the next 24 hours.

Tata Steel (BSE: TATASTEEL.BO - news) announced 750 job losses at the plant last Monday and staff have had to endure an agonising week waiting to see if their jobs are among the ones to go.

Tony Price, 58, has worked on the site for more than 30 years. So too did his father and grandfather. Mr Price has been told he will learn about his future on Tuesday morning. His department has been told 44 jobs from 450 must be lost.

"It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) is disappointing. You have still got a mortgage, you have got commitments. There is the little luxuries in life you still owe for now, no matter how old you are.

"Possibly, there will be a lot of people in a worse position than myself. To say go and get another job is not so easy here with another 800 people looking for the same job. It's going to be a massive blow to this area for years to come,” he said.

Tony’s partner, Fran Gosby, said the uncertainty over his job is causing great anxiety.

"I don’t know and people keep asking me what is going on and I'm getting a bit fed up with people asking me because I do not know what the answer is.

"Once we know we can make decisions on our future. Yes it will be a blow but we will cope. We are older and luckily I’m working so we will weather the storm.

"It is worse for the younger people. They have got their lives ahead of them."

Some locals think more job losses will follow and the plant in this coastal community may never recover.

Phil Landeg’s family-run business has stood in this town since 1936. The small electrical shop was opened by his grandfather. It was a thriving business but trade has been declining steadily over the years.

He says all the businesses in Port Talbot rely on the steelworks and any job losses will have a massive effect on the town as it means 750 salaries will be disappearing from the local economy.

"The main focus for us being here was the income that the steel company provided. All the traditional family owned businesses in Port Talbot relied on the steel industry.

"The redundancies now is a huge blow. It is going to hit us very, very hard. I’m very concerned. Without the work that the steel industry generates in this area, it is going to affect everybody. It has to."

Hayley Cooper's hairdressing salon is on the same high street. Her dad used to work at the steelworks as have many members of her family. Her nephews are employed by Tata Steel. She (Munich: SOQ.MU - news) says most of her customers work at the plant. She thinks the plant will close eventually and then there will be nothing left in Port Talbot.

"I’m very concerned. Lots of my clients work in the steelworks. Port Talbot is suffering anyway. It is really quiet at the moment. People are very worried.

"They have got mortgages and children. Everybody is waiting to see what will happen. People are thinking it is going to close down eventually and then there will be nothing in Port Talbot."

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