Further jobs cuts at steel plants

Corus blames the job losses on the business climate

More steel jobs are to go at two plants in Wales, just three months after the last round of redundancies.

Corus is to cut a total of 145 jobs in its strip products division in Wales and will also introduce short-time working on some production lines.

The Anglo-Dutch company said it was launching a business recovery plan to put the group back on track for profitability.

At Port Talbot 100 jobs are to go and a further 45 jobs will be lost at Shotton.

Port Talbot faces 100 job losses

A total of 65 redundancies have also been announced at the Lackenby plant on Teeside.

A Corus spokesperson says short time working (and a consequent pay cut) is being introduced on a number of production lines and the level of order intake is under constant review.

Nick Cragg, managing director of Corus Strip Products, said: "It is a particularly challenging time as market conditions are increasingly difficult.

"We regret the job losses and sympathise with those affected - but the operational changes are a direct consequence of the changing business climate."

Strong pound blamed

It is only three months since Corus announced 1,200 job losses at plants across Wales, with the sites at Llanwern, near Newport, and Port Talbot taking the brunt of the cuts.

The cuts then were blamed on the strength of the pound.

Llanwern escaped any job losses but it is likely that its Number Two blast furnace will be mothballed until the summer.

That will be despite the decision just six weeks ago to invest £35m on the recommissioning of another blast furnace at Llanwern.