The closure, or mothballing as it has been described, of the SSI steel plant in Redcar, with the loss of 1700 jobs was, I thought at first, just another sad story. Listening to the radio, you don’t quite grasp the significance of such an announcement, with politicians coming out with the usual platitudes and cliches, the Labour MP calling for the government to take action and the government calling a “steel summit”, which is another way of doing nothing. It was when Radio Five interviewed the wife of one of the workers that I remembered it was about much more than making steel: it was about people’s lives being ruined.
The lady explained, at first all matter of factly, how it would affect her family. But then her words and thoughts were about her little boy, whose Christmas was set to be ruined, or at least diminished by dad losing his job. The tears were not far behind, and neither were hers, and yet she still had the perspective to say that she knew some children were even worse off and had nothing at all. This was what set me off, I’m afraid.
I cannot say that if I was in the same position I would think about others. I hope I would, but I cannot guarantee it. But, in the depths of her sadness and devastation, she said things that made me feel positive about the human condition.
I know little about Redcar other than the fact it has been founded on its steelworks and it will not just be the 1700 workers who will be affected. It will affect those businesses who supply the steelworks, the local economy will be severely damaged so other businesses are bound to be affected.
I know the arguments you will get from government, that the price of steel has fallen worldwide and the firm is not profitable and anyway they can’t interfere in the markets. Unfortunately, that is the system we have chosen through the ballot box back in May. It allows for circumstances like these and does nothing to prevent them. We know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
The plant could be mothballed for maybe five years. What use is that to anyone? As a Class A cynic, I feel mothballing means clothing.
My heart breaks for the workers and the families of the workers, especially those children who will suffer in all sorts of ways. Sometimes, I get very angry with the system and the society in which we live.
And what about the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, James Wharton? He represents Stockton, not a million miles away from Redcar. He was in Stockton today, so why did he not travel the short distance to speak directly to local people? He blamed constituency commitments, in which case, why did he not cancel them? Obvious, isn’t it? He bottled it. Pure and simple: he didn’t have the guts to attend personally. Weak, weak, weak. Heartless, gutless and clueless.
Last week, chancellor Osborne was in China, ignoring human rights abuses, sucking up to the Chinese government to “invest” in Britain. Do we have any idea how the Chinese dumping of cheap steel has affected plants like Redcar? Just asking, like.
