Steelworkers march to save industry

By Rob Williams, Socialist Party Industrial Organiser

Steelworkers from the Unite, GMB and Community trade unions marched down Whitehall to Parliament Square on Wednesday behind the #SaveOurSteel banner. Protesting together with them were striking South London outsourced NHS workers in the GMB on their own demonstration, with both groups of workers joining in with each other’s chants.

Workers had travelled from steelworks such as Port Talbot, Shotton and Scunthorpe to lobby both the Tory Government and Starmer’s Labour about the threat to jobs. Unite launched its ‘SOS Steel Emergency campaign’ in Port Talbot and Scunthorpe last Monday, two plants under real danger of closure, which would devastate these working-class communities.

On the rally opposite Parliament, Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham demanded government intervention to save the steel industry.  She also said: “But quite frankly, we should own our own steel.” Steelworkers would welcome that as a demand to re-nationalise the steel plants, in the same vein that Sharon has called for the profiteering energy companies be brought back into public ownership. Such a demand would be a vital to galvanise local communities in a struggle to support steelworkers, backing up militant industrial action that may well be necessary.

In 2016, the National Shop Stewards Network called a demonstration in Port Talbot when the steelworkers were facing closure. Marchers called on the Labour Welsh Government to nationalise the works. The immediate threat was faced down then but the fight is on again. But knowing Starmer’s pro-big business standpoint and opposition to nationalisation, an essential aspect will be the need for a political challenge from the unions as well as industrial struggle.