Coke ovens to stay on as talks continue over plant

The Official Receiver said it was continuing to talk to interested parties about the future of Redcar steelworks on Teesside after Thai owners went into liquidation.

It is understood that over 1,000 workers have been laid off and will now have to apply for redundancy, while around 650 have been retained to maintain the coke ovens and manage the site.

Irreparable damage will be done if the coke ovens are allowed to go cold.

A statement said: “A decision has been made to buy sufficient coal to keep the Redcar coke ovens going until the weekend, enabling the Official Receiver to continue discussions with interested parties about purchasing assets in working order.

“A decision about purchasing further coal to keep the ovens operational beyond the weekend will be taken at the end of this week.”

“Staff continue to be retained on site to maintain the Redcar Coke Ovens and manage the site in a safe manner.”

Workers have been sent letters by the Redundancy Payments Service with details of how to make a claim for redundancy pay.

The Government has announced that a steel summit will be held on October 16 to discuss the future of the steel industry in the wake of the Redcar crisis.

Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community union, said: “We welcome the fact that more coal supplies have been made available. This is a positive development and hopefully a sign that constructive discussions are taking place to ensure the coke ovens are kept running.

“However, as we have stated all along, if Government support is required to ensure the industrial assets are protected, then it should be made available.

“As the representatives of the workforce, we stand ready to work with the Official Receiver and any other interested parties to help find a future for steel-making on Teesside.”

mfl