900 sign petition calling for Stocksbridge steelworks to be saved

It was set up by Alex Burnett to ‘make clear the strength of feeling in the local community that the Liberty Steel site must be saved’.

Alex said he planned to send it to Liberty owner Sanjeev Gupta and local Tory MP Miriam Cates.

Liberty Steel has been hit by a ‘perfect storm’ of pandemic, Brexit, high energy prices and the collapse of lender Greensill Capital.

Liberty owns 12 steel plants employing 5,000 in the UK including in Stocksbridge and Rotherham, which employ 1,600.

Workers in South Yorkshire are on a month-long furlough while bosses seek to refinance the company.

Mr Burnett, a Labour party member, said steel was at the heart of the town and losing it would be a ‘disaster’.

He added: “The recent news about the financial position of the owners of Speciality Steels is very worrying.

“The site employs approximately 750 and there is significant concern that those jobs may be put at risk.

“Families across Stocksbridge and the surrounding area rely on these jobs and their loss would be a disaster.

“This petition aims to highlight to those in positions of power the desire in the local community to protect the jobs that Stocksbridge Speciality Steels provides."

On the petition website, Barrie Sales wrote: ‘Without our steelworks, all of Stocksbridge would suffer’.

Dorothy Whittaker said: ‘This steelworks is the heart of our community and has been for over 150 years. Over 700 local people rely on it for employment’.

Diana Murphy said: ‘My late husband worked there and now my son and other family members and friends. We need steel.’

Gary Buchan added: ‘Save our steel, buy British’.

Mr Gupta has told workers he is ‘committed to making the UK businesses sustainable’.

In the Commons today shadow business secretary Ed Miliband urged business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to take Liberty into public ownership if necessary.

Mr Kwarteng said: “I’ve seen local management, I’ve seen representatives of the unions, and I’ve seen a number of people who are very keenly involved in the steel sector, and it would not be appropriate for me to enter into what is a commercially sensitive situation.”

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Thank you. Nancy Fielder, editor.