Unite stated on Thursday that it was halting its industrial action in reaction to Tata, the owner of the Indian giant, threatening to close the site sooner than initially planned.
The union said that talks over the weekend produced a “significant development” in the shape of Tata’s promise to talk about future investment rather than merely layoffs.
The last blast furnace used to make steel is scheduled to close on July 7, which is one day ahead of the previously scheduled strike and around two months ahead of the September deadline.
Up to 2,800 jobs are to be lost – 2,500 in the next year, and a further 300 in three years – despite a £500m taxpayer cash injection to support the site’s transition to cheaper, greener steel production to cut emissions.
The first steel blast furnace was due to close at the end of June in a push to reduce carbon emissions at what is the UK’s single largest source of CO2.
