Tata Steel to eliminate 900 jobs across Britain

Tata Steel yesterday said that it would cut 900 jobs across Britain as part of restructuring of its UK operations amid detorirating economic conditions in Europe.

Tata Steel Europe, the region's second-largest steel producer after ArcelorMittal, will eliminate 500 jobs at its Port Talbot-based production hub in South Wales as part of restructuring management and administrative functions.

It will also close 12 sites, including Tafarnaubach and Cross Keys in South Wales and reduce shift levels at its Rotherham and Hartlepool operations in order to match production of lower demand for bar products and pipelines.

Tata Steel Europe, which had cut thousands of jobs during the 2008-2009 recession, will re-start one of two blast furnaces at Port Talbot and its hot strip mill at Llanwern site in Newport, South Wales early next year as part of its earlier announced £250 million investment programme.

This restructuring would lead to loss of 900 jobs in the UK, including 580 in South Wales, 155 in Yorkshire, 120 in the West Midlands and 30 in Teesside.

Karl Köhler, CEO of Tata Steel's European operations, said, ''Today's proposals are part of a strategy to transform ourselves into an 'all-weather' steel producer, capable of succeeding in difficult economic conditions.