Latest news with #LisaCoulson
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
British Steel to hire more workers for first time after government intervention
British Steel is hiring again for the first time since it was rescued by the government. The company is looking to fill more than 180 positions as it gets ready to increase production. Having secured the necessary raw materials to maintain operations at its Scunthorpe site, British Steel plans a significant boost to its iron and steel output in the coming months. The available roles span a wide range of skills and experience levels, from professional and skilled positions to non-skilled labour. Opportunities are available across multiple locations, including Scunthorpe, Teesside, and Skinningrove. Departments with open positions include engineering, environmental, chemistry, cleaning, legal, labouring, safety, and stores. Interim chief executive officer, Allan Bell, said: 'With the backing of the UK Government, we are focused on cementing British Steel as one of the world's leading manufacturers of steel. 'To help achieve this, and meet customer demand, we will be upping production across all our sites and recruiting more than 180 people to help drive us forward. 'These are exciting opportunities across our business, offering rewarding careers which will play important roles in building stronger futures for our business and the UK economy.' Most of the new jobs are in Scunthorpe. Interim chief commercial officer, Lisa Coulson, said: 'Our employees always have been and always will be our greatest asset – they are the people who make British Steel such an incredible place to work. 'Together we have a bright future so apply now and join our team.' TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: 'This is great news for workers and the wider communities in Scunthorpe, Teesside and Skinningrove. 'It shows the value of using the power of government to protect UK industry and to help it thrive. 'We now need an industrial strategy with plans to protect and create jobs in sectors like energy, vehicles, chemicals, and ceramics.' Community union's National Secretary for Steel, Alun Davies said: 'Under the site's previous ownership, we regularly highlighted that there was a need to recruit to keep up with workload and reduce reliance on overtime. 'This went unheeded for far too long. 'It's good to see that the UK Government and UK management team are taking swift action to address this by recruiting new staff across the business.' British Steel is hosting a recruitment open day on Saturday, May 17. The new jobs announcement comes after ministers used emergency powers to take control of British Steel and continue production at the site after what was thought to be a plot to sabotage the Scunthorpe plant by its Chinese owners Jingye. Jingye previously proposed to close Scunthorpe's two blast furnaces and put up to 2,700 jobs at risk out of a workforce of 3,500. Since the government's intervention, British Steel has been able to secure a stable supply of raw materials to its two blast furnaces, Queen Anne and Queen Bess, as well as save jobs at risk.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
British Steel begins recruitment drive for first time since Government rescue
British Steel is starting to recruit workers for the first time since the Government stepped in to rescue the business. The company announced it is hiring more than 180 new employees as it prepares to ramp up production. A statement said it has secured the raw materials to maintain a two-blast furnace operation at its site in Scunthorpe and will significantly increase iron and steel production in the coming months. The company is advertising for a variety of professional, skilled, and non-skilled roles in Scunthorpe, Teesside and Skinningrove. Jobs range from engineering and environment to chemistry and cleaning, and from legal and labouring to safety and stores. Interim chief executive officer, Allan Bell, said: 'With the backing of the UK Government, we are focused on cementing British Steel as one of the world's leading manufacturers of steel. 'To help achieve this, and meet customer demand, we will be upping production across all our sites and recruiting more than 180 people to help drive us forward. 'These are exciting opportunities across our business, offering rewarding careers which will play important roles in building stronger futures for our business and the UK economy.' Most of the new jobs are in Scunthorpe. Interim chief commercial officer, Lisa Coulson, said: 'Our employees always have been and always will be our greatest asset – they are the people who make British Steel such an incredible place to work. 'Together we have a bright future so apply now and join our team.' TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: 'This is great news for workers and the wider communities in Scunthorpe, Teesside and Skinningrove. 'It shows the value of using the power of government to protect UK industry and to help it thrive. 'We now need an industrial strategy with plans to protect and create jobs in sectors like energy, vehicles, chemicals, and ceramics.' Community union's National Secretary for Steel, Alun Davies said: 'Under the site's previous ownership, we regularly highlighted that there was a need to recruit to keep up with workload and reduce reliance on overtime. 'This went unheeded for far too long. 'It's good to see that the UK Government and UK management team are taking swift action to address this by recruiting new staff across the business.'British Steel is hosting a recruitment open day on Saturday May 17.
Epoch Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
British Steel Halts Redundancy Plans After Government Takeover
British Steel has halted a consultation on making redundant 2,700 workers at their Scunthorpe mill, following the emergency takeover by the government. Lisa Coulson, the interim chief commercial officer at British Steel, confirmed on Tuesday that she was closing the consultation 'without action.' British Steel also confirmed that efforts to secure the necessary raw materials have been successful, allowing the mill to keep both blast furnaces running continuously. Coulson said: 'This has been a difficult and worrying time for British Steel staff and their families. I can, however, confirm that we are closing the redundancy consultation without action.' She added that since the government passed emergency legislation allowing it to take control of the steelworks, 'we have been working day and night to ensure we are able to stabilise our operations.' 'The work done to secure the raw materials we need for both Queen Anne and Queen Bess blast furnaces means we are able to run both continuously,' Coulson said. Related Stories 4/4/2025 4/15/2025 Last month, Chinese firm Jingye, which bought British Steel in 2020, announced that it was planning to shut down Scunthorpe's blast furnaces and opened a consultation on making the workforce redundant. However, on April 12, parliamentarians passed the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, No Options Off the Table The government is currently overseeing the short term prospects of the steel mill, but has not ruled out taking it completely under public ownership if a private investor is not found. Minister for industry Sarah Jones Jones said that 'all options are on the table' in terms of addressing British Steel's long-term future, and the future of virgin steel production in the UK. She said that she met with officials from Jingye on April 16, adding that 'dialogue will continue as we find a way forward in the national interest that safeguards steelmaking and protects jobs.' During the ensuing debate, Reform UK leader Richard Tice requested a timeline from the Labour minister for progressing with nationalisation, stating, 'We fully support this and encourage the government to move forward with it.' Jones said that while it remains the government's position to find a commercial business to invest alongside government, 'we will do whatever it takes to secure the future of steelmaking and protect those jobs, for national security and for the supply chains.' Workers in the rail and sections hot end rolling mill at the British Steel site in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, on April 17, 2025. Danny Lawson/PA Wire 'No options are off the table,' she said, adding that 'although nationalisation is the most likely option, we would prefer a commercially run business.' 'We continue having many conversations, and as soon as we have an answer, we will come to this House,' she said. 'Botched Nationalisation' Conservative shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith expressed concerns over the potential cost to taxpayers that full nationalisation could bring. He also criticised the government for having 'no plan' and for not publishing an impact assessment before committing to British Steel's rescue. The shadow secretary of state for business and trade said the government 'failed to prepare, they bungled negotiations, and they took too long to listen to the warnings.' Griffith said: 'What do we have to show for it? We have this botched nationalisation and a potential bill for the taxpayer stretching into the billions. I say billions, but it remains entirely unclear how much this bungled 11th-hour decision will cost, while the assets still belong to China.' Jones responded that while Griffith had asked a reasonable question about the costs, 'matters at the moment are sensitive and commercially confidential, and I hope he will be assured that we will publish accounts in due course.' Workers in the rail and sections hot end rolling mill at the British Steel site in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, on April 17, 2025. Danny Lawson/PA Wire Jones told MPs: 'We have assured this House time and again that steel has a bright future under this government, and I restate that today. 'Steel is fundamental to Britain's industrial strength and to our identity as a global power, and we will never hesitate to protect it. We have committed to update both Houses as policy develops and a longer-term strategy is formulated.' In January, the government The government said the Steel Council would meet regularly ahead of the planned launch of the Steel Strategy, which will aim to increase investment, production, and jobs creation. Jones said that the government aims to publish the Steel Strategy this spring. PA Media contributed to this report.
North Wales Chronicle
22-04-2025
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
British Steel halts redundancy plans after Government rescue
In March, Chinese firm Jingye, which bought British Steel in 2020, proposed to close Scunthorpe's two blast furnaces. As a result, it launched a consultation which it said was due to affect between 2,000 and 2,700 jobs. Earlier this month, the UK Government used emergency powers to take control of British Steel and continue production at the site. British Steel confirmed it has officially withdrawn HR1 consultation forms previously submitted by the company, bringing the potential redundancy process to an end. After a scramble over the Easter holidays to obtain the coal and iron needed to keep the plant going, the company also confirmed that both the Scunthorpe blast furnaces will continue to operate. A so-called 'salamander tap', where one of the furnaces would be drained of molten material to safely shut it down, will no longer go ahead, British Steel said. Lisa Coulson, interim chief commercial officer at British Steel, said: 'This has been a difficult and worrying time for British Steel staff and their families. 'I can, however, confirm that we are closing the redundancy consultation without action. 'Since the Government passed its legislation on Saturday, we have been working day and night to ensure we are able to stabilise our operations. 'The work done to secure the raw materials we need for both Queen Anne and Queen Bess blast furnaces means we are able to run both continuously.' Industry minister Sarah Jones said: 'The action this Government took on April 12, and the measures we've taken since, matter greatly for this country – and are of huge importance to thousands of steelworkers and their families. 'We will always stand up for our steel industry. 'Now, thanks to our decisive action to protect steelmaking at Scunthorpe, British Steel has cancelled the redundancy consultations started by its owners Jingye, bringing certainty for thousands of hard-working staff for the long term.' The minister later told the Commons: 'It's not the end of the work, and it's not the end of the negotiations, but thanks to the actions we have taken, it is also not the end of British Steel.' 'All options' remain on the table for the future of British Steel's ownership, she added, insisting there was a need for a 'modernisation programme, ideally with a private sector partner'. Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith described the Government's decision to take control of British Steel as a 'botched nationalisation' which he claimed would lead to a 'potential bill for the taxpayer stretching into the billions'. Ministers need to find ways of reducing energy costs for heavy industries as they chart a new industrial strategy for the UK, he said, adding: 'Any industrial strategy that does not tackle that is a waste of time.' A spokesman for the Unite union said: 'Unite are pleased that British Steel have come to their senses and realised that job losses are not the way to ensure Britain remains an industrial power. 'This should be just the first step to begin the process of nationalisation. 'The Government now needs to implement a wholesale overhaul of its energy policy with a commitment to invest in renewables to lower energy prices for heavy industry like steel production.' Alun Davies, national secretary for steel at the Community Union, said: 'We welcome these positive developments, which follow constructive discussions between steel unions, the Labour Government and British Steel management. 'We look forward to continuing these productive relationships going forward. 'Through this collective effort, backed up by the commitment and resolve of the workforce, Scunthorpe steelmaking was saved from a disastrous cliff edge. 'We will now continue to work tirelessly to ensure the business gets the bright future it needs and deserves.'
South Wales Guardian
22-04-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
British Steel halts redundancy plans after Government rescue
In March, Chinese firm Jingye, which bought British Steel in 2020, proposed to close Scunthorpe's two blast furnaces. As a result, it launched a consultation which it said was due to affect between 2,000 and 2,700 jobs. Earlier this month, the UK Government used emergency powers to take control of British Steel and continue production at the site. British Steel confirmed it has officially withdrawn HR1 consultation forms previously submitted by the company, bringing the potential redundancy process to an end. After a scramble over the Easter holidays to obtain the coal and iron needed to keep the plant going, the company also confirmed that both the Scunthorpe blast furnaces will continue to operate. A so-called 'salamander tap', where one of the furnaces would be drained of molten material to safely shut it down, will no longer go ahead, British Steel said. Lisa Coulson, interim chief commercial officer at British Steel, said: 'This has been a difficult and worrying time for British Steel staff and their families. 'I can, however, confirm that we are closing the redundancy consultation without action. 'Since the Government passed its legislation on Saturday, we have been working day and night to ensure we are able to stabilise our operations. 'The work done to secure the raw materials we need for both Queen Anne and Queen Bess blast furnaces means we are able to run both continuously.' Industry minister Sarah Jones said: 'The action this Government took on April 12, and the measures we've taken since, matter greatly for this country – and are of huge importance to thousands of steelworkers and their families. 'We will always stand up for our steel industry. 'Now, thanks to our decisive action to protect steelmaking at Scunthorpe, British Steel has cancelled the redundancy consultations started by its owners Jingye, bringing certainty for thousands of hard-working staff for the long term.' The minister later told the Commons: 'It's not the end of the work, and it's not the end of the negotiations, but thanks to the actions we have taken, it is also not the end of British Steel.' 'All options' remain on the table for the future of British Steel's ownership, she added, insisting there was a need for a 'modernisation programme, ideally with a private sector partner'. Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith described the Government's decision to take control of British Steel as a 'botched nationalisation' which he claimed would lead to a 'potential bill for the taxpayer stretching into the billions'. Ministers need to find ways of reducing energy costs for heavy industries as they chart a new industrial strategy for the UK, he said, adding: 'Any industrial strategy that does not tackle that is a waste of time.' A spokesman for the Unite union said: 'Unite are pleased that British Steel have come to their senses and realised that job losses are not the way to ensure Britain remains an industrial power. 'This should be just the first step to begin the process of nationalisation. 'The Government now needs to implement a wholesale overhaul of its energy policy with a commitment to invest in renewables to lower energy prices for heavy industry like steel production.' Alun Davies, national secretary for steel at the Community Union, said: 'We welcome these positive developments, which follow constructive discussions between steel unions, the Labour Government and British Steel management. 'We look forward to continuing these productive relationships going forward. 'Through this collective effort, backed up by the commitment and resolve of the workforce, Scunthorpe steelmaking was saved from a disastrous cliff edge. 'We will now continue to work tirelessly to ensure the business gets the bright future it needs and deserves.'
