WORKERS at the Corus Teesside Cast Products (TCP) plant, which was due to be mothballed at the end of this month with the loss of 1,600 jobs, have been given a stay of execution.

It was confirmed last night that the steel company has agreed to a request from unions to keep the facility, near Redcar, open into next month as efforts are made to preserve it.

A statement from management and unions said: “Corus has today agreed to the trade unions’ request to extend operations at TCP until all the raw materials currently on site have been consumed, or until the end of February, whichever is first.

“Corus will place internal orders on TCP in order to give at least three weeks of continued operation beyond the end of January.

“During this time, the trade unions and Corus will jointly explore further opportunities to continue steelmaking on Teesside.”

Describing it as fantastic news, GMB regional organiser Jimmy Skivington said: “The extra month’s wages will be most welcome, but the most important thing about this is that it is buying us a bit more time.”

The announcement came on the day North-East MPs meeting at Redcar Racecourse heard that union bosses are being kept in the dark about any potential buyout and are calling on Corus to look at alternative ways of keeping the plant open.

Kirby Adams, the managing director of Corus parent company Tata Steel Europe, was criticised for failing to take part in negotiations.

The Community Union told the meeting that a lack of information from Indian company Tata Corus could spark industrial action.

Its secretary, Michael Leahy, said: “Tata Corus has got to be clear about their intentions and should act in the best interests of their workforce.

“It seems that Tata Corus does not want to find a solution.

One short-term decision should not decide the future of a whole community.

“If Tata Corus do not start talking honestly about alternatives, we might seek an industrial solution.”

Multi-union chairman at the plant Geoff Waterfield said: “Kirby Adams has been reluctant to meet with us at any point. He comes in and makes a statement and then walks out.

“We are full of ideas that we want to share with the Government, Tata and any potential buyer. It is pretty important that a company like Tata make relations with staff, but they have a chief executive who does not give us the good grace of sitting through any meeting.

“It is not acceptable for one man to send Teesside down the drain.”

It was confirmed that Mr Adams will not attend another session of the committee of MPs, in London on Tuesday.

The union bosses were giving evidence alongside Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council leader George Dunning and Middlesbrough mayor Ray Mallon.