THE Government and unions last night refused to surrender in the fight for thousands of jobs axed by steelmaker Corus.

Trade Secretary Stephen Byers pulled no punches over the group's decision to shed more than 6,000 workers nationwide.

The cuts leave one in four of the Corus workforce - more than 1,000 men and women on Teesside - facing redundancy.

Wales will be hardest hit, with 1,340 redundancies at the plant in Llanwern, near Newport. The nearby factory at Ebbw Vale will close altogether with the loss of 780 jobs, while redundancies will also hit factories at Shotton in North Wales.

Mr Byers voiced his anger over the Anglo-Dutch company's behaviour and was openly critical of the company for its "short term response" to trading problems.

In a clear reference to Nissan's decision to stick with its Sunderland plant last week, he said: "Today's announcement by Corus stands in stark contrast to other manufacturing companies who are prepared to take a long-term view."

Mr Byers promised that the Government would not "walk away" from those who lost their jobs and held out the prospect of future aid. But he said "it need not come to that" and Corus could adopt a different approach.

"On behalf of 6,000 steelworkers, their families and the communities in which they live, I urge Corus to think again and work with us to identify a better way forward," he said.

The coil plate mill at Lackenby is to close at the end of June, putting 234 men out of work and signalling an end to Teesside's 160 year old integrated steel works. The coil plates made at the mill are used in the building industry and to make cars.

And a further 648 jobs are to go across the giant Redcar and Lackenby plant - most of them administration roles from Steel House - as well as 142 jobs from pipe mills at Stockton and Hartlepool, and another 46 jobs at Skinningrove.

As the shift clocked off at Lackenby last night, many steel men were too incensed to speak.

But one said: "We feel angry and betrayed. Some of us found out about our jobs on the radio first. It's a farce."

Paul Duffy, 21, said: "I suppose I'm OK because I am young enough to find another job. Some of the older blokes don't stand a chance.

"We had been led to believe the axe was going to fall on Wales and we would be fine."

Corus is blaming the strength of the pound, high transportation costs, weak UK demand and a lack of competitiveness in export markets for its continuing high losses. It says it hopes the measures announced yesterday will ensure the group's return to profitability.

Sir Brian Moffat, chairman of Corus, said: "The radical measures announced will significantly improve the group's competitiveness and are crucial to the future of Corus' employees, customers and shareholders.

"However it is with deep regret that, despite the support and commendable track record of our UK workforce, further significant job reductions have to take place."

Tony Poynter, chairman of the multi union steel committee at Teesside works, described the job losses as "disgraceful and shameful", and he said workers were "the victims of bad management".

He added workers in the coil plate mill were "gutted."

He said the unions would be meeting nationally in London today to discuss their next move. They will be taking a resolution Teesside steel workers made at a mass meeting at Coatham Bowl, Redcar, on Saturday that they will take whatever action is deemed necessary to save jobs - including the possibility of strike action.

Redcar MP Mo Mowlam said: "What is happening in Wales is unbelievable and it is going all in one go, but ours is a slow death."

The chief executive of Corus on Teesside, Glyn Wheeler, said: "It is absolutely tragic to make that number of reductions and it is very regrettable but unavoidable. It is quite devastating and very hard to implement them."

Mr Wheeler said he could not categorically say that there would not be more job cuts over the next three years on top of the ones announced yesterday.

Meanwhile, a Dutch union leader has pledged that Corus workers in Holland will not take on extra work caused by redundancies in Britain.

Jos Duinhoven has been in regular contact with UK steel workers. He said: "We will try everything possible to help, and that means we won't be taking on any work that normally should be carried out on Teesside.