Teesside Writer Takes to Plinth to Highlight Steel Workers Jobs Crisis

LONDON -

WHEN: 3pm, Wednesday, 26th August 2009

WHERE: Trafalgar Square, London

Unite members and Corus workers from across Teesside will highlight their jobs plight by demonstrating at the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square tomorrow (Wednesday) in their campaign to safeguard the 150-year old plant.

Teesside writer Linda Robinson, who is supporting the Unite campaign, will be on the Fourth Plinth from 3pm as part of the Anthony Gormley One & Other exhibition. She will be reading various short stories and poems, one of which is dedicated to the Corus workers called “Steel River”.

The delegation of placard waving Corus workers will surround the Plinth with the “Save our Steel” banner, as part of the campaign to save the North East’s Corus plant.

Unite, a leading union at the Corus plant, say the community in Teesside will be devastated if this plant were shut down, as thousands of local families and businesses depend on the plant for their livelihoods. This is in response to news that 2,800 jobs and a further 1,000 jobs from companies supplying Corus are at risk since a consortium of companies pulled out of a 10 year contract.

Unite Regional Officer, Bob Bolam, said:

“Steel making is a major part of the UK economy and we are bringing our campaign to save Corus to London to raise the general public’s awareness of their plight. We call upon Gordon Brown and the government to put every effort into saving steel making on Teesside for future generations.

“The failure of the consortium to live up to its obligations is disastrous news for these workers. We are urging the company to do everything possible to protect these workers’ jobs.

This campaign has also gained the support of Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP, Ashok Kumar. He said: “This protest has my full, whole-hearted, backing. I wish our local representatives well. They will be excellent ambassadors for Teesside Steel, Teesside’s workers and Teesside’s communities.”

Notes to Editors:

Sculptor Antony Gormley has invited people to help create an astonishing living monument. He is asking the people of the UK to occupy the empty Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in London. Every hour, 24 hours a day, for 100 days without a break, different people will make the Plinth their own.

Source: Unite the Union

For further information contact Bob Bolam on +44-(0)7768-693948 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite press office on +44-(0)20-7420-8914 or +44-(0)7980-224761