Mothballing decision my be postponed

The announcement on the future of the Teesside Cast Products (TCP) plant came hours after Corus confirmed it was safeguarding 120 jobs at its South Bank coke works after an eleventh-hour deal was struck on Monday night.

TCP faces partial mothballing at the end of the month, with the loss of 1,600 jobs, but at the first meeting of the Joint Management and Trade Union Task Force, a proposal was drawn up which could save the Redcar plant until the end of February.

Last night, union sources told The Northern Echo a decision was expected from Corus tomorrow as to whether that would be possible.

TCP has seen its future safeguarded on a month-by-month basis since last year, when the collapse of a ten-year offtake agreement saw it thrown into jeopardy.

Monday night’s deal over the coke works – which is backed by a three-year business plan by Corus – came after union bosses and the company brokered a deal to supply coke to other steel plants across the North- East and the UK.

However, Corus stressed the future of the coke ovens depended on market demand over the next three years, but said the outlook for the present was good.

Bob Bolam, regional officer for Unite the union, said: “Everyone is living in hope that there is a reprieve which can give the unions and the company longer to talk about guaranteeing a sustainable future for TCP.”

In a statement, Corus said: “In the interests of maintaining a continuation of meaningful talks with a view to securing a positive future for TCP, Corus has agreed to consider a trade union proposal to extend TCP’s operating programme and postpone the partial mothballing to the end of February.”

■ The Northern Echo’s Editor Peter Barron brought up the fate of Teesside Cast Products when he met Gordon Brown at Downing Street, yesterday.

You can read what the Prime Minister had to say on The Northern Echo’s website. Go to thenorthernecho.co.uk and click on Editor’s blog.