Councillor backs union’s Save Sheffield’s Steel campaign

Coun Minesh Parekh asked a written question at a meeting of Sheffield City Council’s economic development and skills policy committee on Wednesday (December 22).

He said: “Unite the Union have recently launched the campaign to Save Sheffield’s Steel, including launching its Workers’ Plan for Steel, which has been supported by over 150 local businesses, charities and community organisations in the city.

“The campaign is looking for UK infrastructure projects to use 100 per cent UK steel and for national investment to green steel with no loss of jobs.”

He asked councillors how much steel for council-initiated infrastructure projects comes from Sheffield and the UK but this couldn’t be answered.

He also wanted to know what scope — under current laws — there was to review the council’s procurement policies to give priority to Sheffield- and UK-derived steel, “considering the climate and community wealth building benefits this would bring”.

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The answer to the question from committee chair Coun Martin Smith was: “Sheffield City Council is a long-standing signatory to the British Steel Charter and has given priority to British Steel to the fullest extent permitted by procurement law for many years.

“We will continue to do so and will review whether there is any scope to do anything further, this would sit within our wider social value approach to maximise local supply chain opportunities.

“We do not currently hold statistics on what proportion of steel comes from either the UK or Sheffield.”

For more information on the Save Sheffield’s Steel campaign, go to www.unitetheunion.org