18/01/2016 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today live from Port Talbot.

It was much anticipated, but today the official announcement

that Tata Steel is cutting 1,000 jobs across the UK -

the majority of them here at this steelworks.

It's a very difficult day for our employees. However, I believe that

this point in time we are taking the necessary action that must be taken

to conserve 3500 jobs. How does a community that was built

on steel deal with the loss I have a son and a daughter-in-law

working in there at the moment and we don't know what's happening. It's

terrible. Personally I think Port Talbot will start to die again.

Tonight, we'll be speaking live to the First Minister.

What can politicians do to influence a global industry?

And we'll have the picture from India - the home of Tata

headquarters - to find out about the decisions being taken

Also on the programme tonight: A deal is struck in a 15-year battle

over the future of two reservoirs in Cardiff.

And days after appointing Alan Curtis as interim manager,

Swansea City bring in a new head coach and he will have the final say

Tonight, the community of Port Talbot is coming to terms

with the long-expected announcement that Tata is cutting 1,000 steel

jobs across the UK, and the majority of them in south Wales.

750 jobs to be lost across Port Talbot and Llanwern

in Newport - 15 at Trostre in Llanelli.

200 more support workers will go, too.

It's a question many are asking and politicians arguing about.

Our first report tonight is from our business correspondent,

Brian Meechan, who has spent much of the day there.

After months of speculation the announcement staff at Port Talbot

had been anticipating came this morning. One of the unions unveiled

a banner in support of jobs. Tata Security had a quickly taken down

again. 2-1 still has invested heavily in this site, including this

new blast furnace and the company has been patient, but it's losing ?1

million a day at this steelworks alone and it hopes by reducing the

number of workers here it can start to turn that around. It's the UK's

biggest steel plant and its showing the strains of the wider industry.

Energy costs and business rates are higher here than in some parts of

Europe. The problems have been made worse by Jim imports coming from

China. -- cheap imports. Tata hope they can save other jobs. The

measures we take, we believe we can turn this industry around, not only

for Tata, but also for the UK and the Welsh economy. Are you sure that

with the action you're taking today that this secures the future of this

plant for decades to come? No, I couldn't say that for a moment.

There had been the talk of the UK or Welsh government taking a stake in

the site here, an idea completely rejected by the company today. 4000

workers and 3000 contract as are employed at Port Talbot in well-paid

jobs. It is not ours to give away. We have to try to ensure there is

for our children and our children's children. The surrounding

communities, the shops, the builders, absolutely knock-on effect

is massive. This site uses as much energy as a city the size of Swansea

and that means huge bills. The European Commission allowed the UK

Government to bring in financial support to ease the burden of high

energy users like Tata. Welshman is to say Westminster has been slow to

act. We were warning the UK Government years ago about high

energy costs. They didn't heed us. They've only he did recently and now

something will be coming through, but that's too little too late.

Visiting a mosque in Yorkshire, the prime minister argued that his

government had taken action. This deal industry has asked us for

action on energy prices and we've done that. They've asked us to

action on brick during more British Steel and we've taken action. They

want us to take action within the European Union and we've done that.

We will continue to work with them. I want to have a strong British

steel industry. Workers say the announcements have led to huge

uncertainty. We don't know. People have gone to meetings and they

haven't really been told if they are going not. The company will be

hoping these job losses, painful though they are, will be enough to

satisfy Indian headquarters that this is a survival plan to secure

Port Talbot's future. In the coming weeks will discover whether it's

convinced the board of that or if even more will need to be done.

Let's talk to the First Minister Carwyn Jones.

Many watching tonight's programme will question what exactly can

politicians like you do to influence what is a global industry?

We have been talking to Tata for some weeks now. Unfortunately

nothing could be done in terms of saving these jobs. We are focused on

the people affected now. There's a meeting on Wednesday with a view to

taking forward plan stout them. You asked about the industry itself.

There's a glut of steel on the world market at the moment. It's a problem

for the European steel industry. There are two particular factors for

the UK. The strength of the pound and the high cost of energy. They

are locked within the power of the UK Government to influence. What was

in your power to influence was something about business rates and

not enough, arguably, was done in enough time. We've only had power

over business rates since last April. That's a long time with

respect. It's a very small part of the picture. We are talking about

the need to make sure we attract hundreds of millions of pounds of

investment into this plant. We need to make sure the UK Government does

its bit, we do our bit and Europe does its bit. One of the

steelworkers said to me to Nike is we need to put some sort of

taxation, some steel tariff on imports, like America does. That's

what they want to be done. What about that? It's true, in needs to

be done on a European level. Your right to point out there's a need to

make sure there's a European level. It will happen next month, it should

have happened sooner, but there are specific issues in Britain like

energy costs that need to be addressed. We've been lobbying the

UK Government for four years and they need to do something. When you

talk to workers and management they speak as one voice. What many people

leaving tonight want to know is politicians and governments from all

parties speak with one voice. Can you do that and have you been doing

that? Yes. The last thing people want to hear is some kind of

political tit for tat. We'll work with UK Government. There are issues

we can deal with and they can deal with and some at the European

levels. Politics shouldn't interfere. You want us to stay in

the EU, you will campaign for that in any referendum. As the EU being

good for the steel industry in Wales given this chapter? It has because

it's provided a market for steel from Britain. The factors that are

not helping the plant at the moment are nothing to do with the EU. The

strength of the pound and energy costs for and the glut of steel on

the world market. These things need to be tackled soon. Thank you.

Just like towns which grew up around coal mines,

The works cast a huge shadow over houses for miles in every direction.

So how is the community dealing with the news of the job losses

and how does it feel about its prospects for the future?

Vince Lewis and his family have a strong connection

with Port Talbot steelworks that goes back generations.

My grandfather, my uncle and my brother was a crane driver there.

Over the past few months I've spent time with the family and job losses

have always been in the back of their minds and it's

had an effect on many of their colleagues.

There are people with families, mortgages, children,

and it will have a much bigger impact on them.

A lot of people depend on the works for their livelihood.

It's not only the direct people employed, but there are many others

outside of there who need that place to pay the bills.

Today after clocking off from his shift, I caught

He gave me his reaction to the job cuts.

It's a body blow to the local area and a body blow to the

It's a lot of jobs, almost a fifth of the workforce.

Despite not knowing exactly who will lose their jobs

in the coming months, like the Lewis family

there is uncertainty all around this town.

The Sandfields Estate was built in the 1950s to house steel workers

People here told me this latest round of job cuts is devastating.

I have a son and a daughter-in-law working in there at the moment so we

It will be like a ghost town here if that shuts.

There's a lot of people that still work there.

Personally I think Port Talbot will start to die again.

And of course today's announcement doesn't just concerned those

It will have a knock-on effect for many local businesses,

some of which are on this industrial estate.

From supplying vehicles and tools to filling empty stomachs

at lunchtime, almost everyone has a connection.

This hydraulics company believes such a significant number of cuts

may well have an impact on them down the line.

We supply the majority of contractors in there.

We are starting to see the effect already.

Be interesting to see what happens in the next few months.

Many have described it as the lifeblood of this community,

by far the biggest employer, it has supported generations

of different families and a variety of local businesses.

Looking ahead, it is hoped that those most affected will get

the support they need at a very difficult time.

As families come to terms with the announcement of the job

losses across south Wales, ultimately the future of this plant

and others lies thousands of miles away in India,

with those at the top of the Tata Group.

The BBC's India business reporter in Mumbai, Sameer Hashmi,

on the changing fortunes of this global operation.

Tata is India's biggest conglomerate.

It's involved in everything from hotels to cars,

tea to telecoms, and that's been going for more than 100 years.

Over the past few decades the Tata Group has been expanding

It owns Jaguar Land Rover and it was the purchase of UK Steel

from Corus in 2007 that made it such a big player in the UK steel market.

Tata Steel is one of the group's main businesses.

It operates in 26 countries, employing 80,000 people worldwide.

But in most of those places it's struggling as global steel prices

fall and it has to compete with cheap imports from China.

Now the decision about the UK business will be taken

Whether or not to go ahead with plans to try and sell its UK

And by cutting jobs and therefore costs, that makes it arguably

Let's talk to our economics correspondent, Sarah Dickins.

How big an issue is the steel being produced in China?

It's absolutely massive. It's got more so in the last couple of

months. China produces half of this deal made in the whole world and the

amount of Chinese steel coming into the UK has doubled in the last year.

What makes that even worse is that steel coming in is coming in at a

third of the price of Europeans feel. You can imagine the bat and --

battle that ten one is having every. There's recently an investigation by

the EU. They looked at the prices of Chinese steel coming into Europe and

the same Chinese steel going into Canada. The staff selling in Europe

was 28% lower. That suggests to observers that the Chinese reducers,

mostly state owned, are targeting Europe. This is a difficult day for

those hundreds of families affected by this announcement. But perhaps,

if we can try and draw some light out of this story, this might be

good news in the long run for this plant. Terrible day for everybody

working here and particularly those losing their work. It is taking half

?1 billion, roughly, out of the Welsh economy. We have to hope that

this is enough to save this plant. In Mumbai doesn't think it is, at

the moment it's losing ?1 million a day reportedly, if Mumbai doesn't

think this is a laugh worst news could come. It's a very painful

decision to save it for the future. As happened in the 1980s.

Later in the programme - the proud history of steel making

in Wales and how today's jobs cuts may play in the forthcoming Assembly

First, the rest of today's news with Nicky.

It's part of a move to take on 1,000 new staff across the UK

The move comes after the company pledged that it will respond to 80%

of its customers' calls at UK offices this year.

A man has pleaded not guilty to the murder

59-year-old Alec Warbuton went missing from his home in Sketty,

in Swansea, in July last year, and his body was found

40-year-old David Craig Ellis was remanded in custody and is due

An outbreak of a sickness bug has led to the rescheduling of some

planned surgery at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

There are five confirmed cases of norovirus after several people

were admitted with diarrhoea and vomiting over the weekend.

One ward is affected, and admissions to three others have

been suspended to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.

Two reservoirs in Cardiff that have been the subject of a planning row

for more than 15 years will once again be used to supply

A previous owner of Llanishen and Lisvane Reservoirs had

controversial plans to build hundreds of homes on the site,

Campaigners are now celebrating after Welsh Water

The tranquillity of this site belies the furious row that's been raging

For decades, this was a local beauty spot for the people

But an entrenched planning row began when Western Power Distribution

bought it and tried to build more than 300 houses.

We have powerful opponents who have invested...

Local people were incensed and campaigned against the plans.

Today that lengthy battle was finally over following news that

We fought for 15 years to try and stop the development and to get

We've had three public enquiries and any number

It's taken a lot of commitment from a lot of people.

I think it really shows the power of people,

everybody working together with a very determined end in view.

Three years ago, Celsa UK bought the reservoir so they had a secure

water supply for the local steelworks.

But now Welsh Water's lease ensures the whole city benefits.

These reservoirs will help us to secure the water supply

to Cardiff and the area for many years to come.

Also they're a fantastic site for local nature,

for recreation and so on and we're hoping to work with the local

community to make the most out of these sites.

With more than 40,000 new homes planned for the city by 2026,

this is likely to be a vital resource.

But local people are just pleased that the water and the wildlife

Football, and just days after announcing Alan Curtis

as interim manager, Swansea City have tonight appointed a new head

coach and HE will have the final say on team selection.

The former Udinese manager Francesco Guidolin will work

alongside Curtis until the end of the season.

The Italian, who's 60, will just watch tonight's

He's previously managed clubs in Italy and France.

I think Swansea need players in this window to improve things.

I think it's all about players' attitude now.

I think Alan Curtis has transformed that in the players and anybody that

can come and help with a lot of experience has to be a great

But it's treacherous times and I think results have got

Newport County are also playing Blackburn in their re-arranged third

It's live on S4C and we'll bring you the goals from both matches

Derek's here, and some dry weather on the way?

Yes. Some good news on the weather front. Staying cold but much drier

and more settled midweek. Tomorrow generally brighter than today with

some sunshine and frost. This evening, cloudy, spots of light rain

and drizzle. A little snow on some of the hills and mountains.

Overnight most places becoming dry, one or two for patches for and

staying above freezing under the cloud. Colder in parts of South and

East Wales with Frost. Temperatures close to freezing. The risk of icy

patches on untreated roads and a Met Office warning in force. This is the

picture for 8am. A cold and frosty start for some of us. I see in

places. Some low cloud in the Northeast and Powys, one or two mist

and fog badges. Otherwise drier and brighter than today. Dried tomorrow

with no rain expected all stop generally much brighter than today.

Most places enjoying some sunshine, although parts of the North Anglesey

and North East might be a bit cloudy. Gold again tomorrow with

temperatures of two to five Celsius in the afternoon. -- told. The wind

mostly night. In care Philly tomorrow, drier and sunnier than

today. Temperatures struggling. In Gwynedd tomorrow, looking drier and

brighter than today. A high of five or six Celsius. Tomorrow night, dry

with some low cloud likely in mid and East Wales. Elsewhere the sky

clears and that means a widespread frost. A few freezing fog patches as

well. Temperatures as low as minus six Celsius. The risk of one or two

icy roads. On Wednesday, we still have high pressure in charge sitting

over the UK. That's keeping the weather fronts at bay over the

Atlantic. Most of the country find on Wednesday with blue sky, but not

sunny everywhere. Some places will be great, misty and cold. Only two

Celsius in some areas. On Thursday, more dry weather, but probably

cloudier. Maybe some sunshine in the north. Breeze picking up in the

West. Temperatures are bit higher. Up to eight Celsius. Still quite

cold in the north-east. On Friday, that's when things are expected to

change. Windy up with a spell of rain clearing to showers and look at

those temperatures. Rising back to double figures with milder air from

Atlantic. The cold spell coming to an end later this week. Staying very

chilly over the next couple of days with some sunshine and frost.

Time to return to Jamie, who's live at the Tata steelworks

They've been making steel here for decades -

the raw material for anything from your washing machine

But it's an industry that has seen its fair share of ups and downs

Our economics correspondent, Sarah Dickins, looks

at the distinguished history of a proud industry.

It's fuelled the Welsh economy for more than a century.

It's fuelled the Welsh economy for more than half a century.

A quality, valuable product made by thousands

After the Second World War, Wales was scattered with steel works

They became centralised on a few sites and in 1951 the large

new steelworks opened at Port Talbot.

Where once the economic blizzards of former years swept

across Port Talbot, there now emerges the Abbey steelworks...

By the late '60s, Port Talbot was one of the big beasts.

Around 20,000 people were making steel for anything from cars

to much-desired new washing machines.

In the early '80s, Port Talbot steelworks had to fight

for its future with harsher cuts than today.

The Slimline project cut 12,500 workers to 7,500 in one blow.

It was a pretty bleak time for the town and I think a lot

of people worried then about the future, was it

But then within a few years you get investment,

you got a big expansion in more of the coke ovens.

Almost hand-in-hand with the scaling back of jobs was this sort

I think that's what's kept people positive.

The shake-up saved Port Talbot through that recession.

Tommy Fellowes started working there in the mid-'50s and 16 years

Now retired, he looks at a map of all the steelworks and collieries

The people of Port Talbot are very tenacious.

We've gone through this time and time again.

In 1956, my father was put on short time in Margam.

So it's nothing new to us because we've always survived.

That's the whole source of the exercise.

We're not going to go away like most of the big manufacturing industries

Port Talbot is producing more, better-quality steel

than in the past, but the pressure is on it again.

In 2012, hundreds of workers lost their jobs in Port Talbot,

but spirits lifted as Tata invested ?185 million on a new blast furnace.

I just couldn't think of anything better to happen to this

It's the best thing that could have happened.

Symbolically, steel-making in Port Talbot goes back

An asset like this will put it on the map for hopefully

Port Talbot is still making 3.5 million tonnes of steel a year.

The problem is finding customers at the right price.

Throughout its life, this plant has competed

on the global market, but it's a fight that's

Let's talk to our political editor, Nick Servini, in Cardiff Bay.

Nick, the Tata job losses today have inevitably turned

Yes. Occasionally we get job losses stories that have a real impact on

the political debate and 1000 in the steel industry is one of them,

particularly in the light of the EU referendum and the assembly election

campaign coming up. It's worth reflecting that under a fortnight

ago George Osborne was in Cardiff warning about a dangerous cocktail

facing the British economy. The key question will be, on a day like

today where a warning like that becomes a reality, does it make

people more reluctant to want change and a withdrawal from the EU or does

it make people more angry with Brussels and the EU and the claims

they haven't done enough to deal with the imports of cheap Chinese

steel. More domestically, there's been a blame game going on. Labour

at when spinster accusing the Tories of cosying up to the Chinese. Carl

Wyn Jones Zayn if the UK Government had done things differently, this

could have been avoided. The UK Government has responded, saying

it's all about economics rather than politics and ultimately you can't

buck the market. Thank you. Coming up to 7pm.

Our main story tonight: This community is coming to terms

with the announcement, long-expected, that Tata is cutting

1,000 steel jobs across the UK and the majority of them in Port

750 jobs are to be lost across Port Talbot and Llanwern

in Newport - 15 at Trostre in Llanelli.

Earlier I spoke to the First Minister. Unfortunately nothing can

be done in terms of saving these jobs. We are focused on the people

affected. There's a meeting on Wednesday with a view to taking

forward plans to help them. You asked about the industry itself.

There's a glut of steel on the world market and it's a problem for the

European steel industry. This is obviously very sad news about the

job losses in Port Talbot and elsewhere. We'll work very closely

with the company and the local communities to do everything we can

to get people the training and assistance they need and will

continue to do everything we can to help the steel industry.

I will have an update for you here at 8pm and again

That's Wales Today - thank you for watching.

From all of us on the programme, good evening.

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