UK Government Backs Tata Steel Workers with £13.5 Million Aid Package

Britain will allocate £13.5 million in aid to assist Tata Steel workers and related supply chain businesses at Port Talbot, South Wales. This follows the suspension of a planned strike after Tata Steel threatened to close two blast furnaces, risking 2,800 jobs.

Britain will allocate £13.5 million in funding to support Tata Steel's workers and supply chain businesses in Port Talbot, South Wales, who are facing job losses. The government made this announcement on Thursday.

The decision comes after workers suspended a planned all-out strike. Britain's largest steel producer, Tata Steel, warned that the strike could expedite the closure of its two blast furnaces in Port Talbot, potentially cutting up to 2,800 jobs.

Recently, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens emphasized in a statement that while negotiations with Tata Steel regarding the site's future will continue, the government will not wait for a crisis before taking action. The closures, initially announced as part of the company's strategy to transition to lower carbon electric arc furnaces, are backed by £500 million of government funding.

(With inputs from agencies.)