Recommendation 18

The trade unions made a case to us for continued involvement saying that “The key message from the trade unions and our members is: do it with them, not to them; do it for them, not against them; and ensure that a transition protects our jobs and communities”. Charlotte Brumpton-Childs said that GMB had already put forward a plan for converting British Steel from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces.51 Councillor Rob Waltham said that with 300 acres, the Scunthorpe site could be used to support a range of other businesses, creating a steelmaking cluster, which would help grow the local economy. He said that other steel businesses were already located near Scunthorpe and there was a demand for green steel.52 Charlotte Brumpton-Childs also noted high demand for steel from defence and offshore wind.53 However, more recently, while the trade unions have had discussions with British Steel, they said they needed to have continued involvement with government over the future of the company. They noted there are ongoing concerns around energy pricing, and Councillor Rob Waltham said that other countries are investing in steel and there is a risk that the UK is too slow to build up its steelmaking capacity.54