STEEL jobs in our region used to be counted in their thousands. Today we are hard pressed to do so in hundreds.
But even though our communities have become accustomed to the body blow of redundancies and the heartbreaking sight of steel plants scaling back production, the news becomes no easier to accept.
Corus has fallen foul of the global recession. And l
ocally, workers are paying with their jobs for the drop-off in the construction industry which was fed by their products.
Each redundancy is a personal tragedy, impacting on families. And neighbourhoods and communities will carry the weight of a shrinking local economy as belts are tightened.
Unions have pledged to fight the redundancies but past experiences tell us that the real battle is over the future of our communities. And that is where the Government must act.
This region has suffered more than its share of cutbacks over the years. It is time for the decision makers in Whitehall to show that they care for this area, which has long been the powerhouse of the nation.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has pledged £5m to help retrain workers who lose their jobs. That is welcome but, to be honest, it is a drop in the ocean - particularly when compared with the massive injection of money the Government offered to the banking industry.
The steel industry is vital to our economy. We must not be subjected to more job losses, for to do so would bring it to the edge of extinction.
Red Cross deserve your cash supportTHE Red Cross has come up with a novel way of buying a new ambulance - it has broken down the vehicle into pocket-size parts so the cost is within the range of most people.
This is a terrific way of encouraging people to support a very worthy cause and we urge all readers to get behind the project.
We look forward to reporting on the first journey of the new vehicle - complete with a roll of honour of all those who helped pay for the bits and pieces!
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