Corus plant's sale sparks jobs hope

Steelworkers and their families protested against the site's mothballing last February
12 April 2012

A steel plant which has been mothballed for the past year has been sold to a firm from Thailand, raising the prospect of hundreds of new jobs.

SSI, Thailand's largest steel maker, finalised an agreement to buy the Corus Teesside Cast Products site in Redcar.

Unions and local politicians welcomed the new announcement from SSI and Tata, which owns the Corus steel company in the UK.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said the deal would help to secure 700 jobs at the plant.

He said: "This deal is very good news for workers at the Teesside plant and the region. I welcome the return of steelmaking to this historic steel site later this year.

"Coming just over a year after the plant was mothballed, it is a tribute to both companies involved - Tata Steel and SSI.

"Both parties have worked hard since August to reach a successful outcome on what has been a complex negotiation. This is a significant inward investment by SSI which will help to sustain the 700 jobs at the plant and create new ones at the site and the wider local economy."

Unite national officer Paul Reuter said: "I'm delighted this deal has been put together and it's a testament to the determination of the workforce to save the plant.

"The successful sale is the result of the unions, Tata, SSI and the local community working together."

The deal values the business at 469 million dollars (£291 million). The acquisition is expected to lead to the creation of more than 800 jobs on top of the existing workforce of 700 at the steel plant, which will be brought back into full operation. The news comes a year after the plant was mothballed in February 2010.

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