Tata Steel UK staff to stage indefinite strike: Union

LONDON

Tata Steel U.K. staff in south Wales will begin an "indefinite strike" from July 8 in protest over the company's job-slashing plans, trade union Unite has said. 

The Indian-owned giant began closing ovens at its sprawling Port Talbot facility in March. The ovens, which had initially been planned to shutter from July, are used to turn coal into coke, a key raw material used in the steel-making process.

"Around 1,500 Tata workers based in Port Talbot and Llanwern will begin all-out indefinite strike action over the company's plans to cut 2,800 jobs and close its blast furnaces," Unite said in a statement.

"The strike... will severely impact Tata's U.K. operations. It is the first time in over 40 years that steel workers in the U.K. have taken strike action."

The walkout will begin just four days Britain holds a general election, with the main opposition Labour Party widely tipped to comfortably beat the governing Conservatives.

"Labour has also made emergency talks with Tata a priority if it wins the election," added Unite.

Tata revealed in January that it was planning to shut the coke ovens and two high-emission blast furnaces in Port Talbot, the U.K.'s biggest steelworks, leading to the loss of up to 2,800 jobs.

The overhaul comes with the European steel industry facing upheaval as it tries to finance less carbon-intensive production.

Tata is seeking to invest £1.25 billion ($1.58 billion) into electric arc furnace technology to try to cut long-term carbon emissions.