Recommendation 16

The trade unions and local Council told us that British Steel is important to the local area, and that closure would have a significant impact.44 Dr Christoper McLachlan and Professor Robert MacKenzie told us that “British Steel has historically managed major restructuring through negotiated processes between management and unions”, and that “The future of the Scunthorpe plant, and the wider steel strategy, depends on re-establishing union involvement to maintain good industrial relations and enable negotiated modernisation.”45 Councillor Rob Waltham said steel working had once been considered a job for life, and that losing the steelworks could affect 20,000 people in the supply-chain. Charlotte Brumpton-Childs said the consultation had felt like the start of an irreversible change, and that its ‘town hall’ meetings were attended by over 600 people. Councillor Rob Waltham was heartened to have seen more stability since the intervention.46