Labour reiterates call for Tata to keep furnaces running until after election

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Labour has reiterated calls for Tata Steel to wait for the party to come into government before shutting off blast furnaces which will cost thousands of jobs in south Wales. On a visit to Tata Steel in Port Talbot, south Wales, on Monday, senior Labour figures called for the company to delay shutting off all the blast furnaces. “We want them to look at the union plan again, we want to talk to them, they know that we have our green steel fund ready to go, that will be there to support Welsh steel workers and steel workers across the United Kingdom to ensure a smooth transition to decarbonised steel.” Vaughan Gething, the Welsh Labour leader, insisted the General Election in July had “changed the opportunity”. He said: “This is about the future of all of us in Wales and Britain and it’s right that we are here today.” Mr Gething said he expected the company – which unions say has threatened to cut redundancy pay in response to proposed in industrial action – to negotiate “in good faith” with Labour and the trade unions.