Global trade unions are concerned about large-scale job losses in the steel industry

Global trade unions are concerned about the cumulative loss of tens of thousands of jobs in the steel sector and related industries around the world. This is stated in the report of IndustriALL.

Representatives of the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC), IndustriALL and industriAll Europe, who took part in a meeting of the OECD Steel Committee, warned of the risk of deindustrialization in the countries of the organization and other countries.

According to the statement, the situation faced by industrial workers is the result of decades of poorly designed national policies that have maintained overcapacity in the steel industry and promoted export competition to the detriment of domestic demand, wages and working conditions.

Trade unions call for an end to this practice and the creation of quality jobs in the industry.

They point out that global demand for steel has fallen sharply, while global overcapacity has reached a new record. Therefore, government intervention is needed to launch infrastructure projects and save jobs.

As noted, austerity measures under the pretext of fiscal responsibility will lead to a serious reduction in public spending, which will negatively affect industrial production and employment.

The unions are calling on governments to pursue expansionary fiscal policies and increase the current low level of public investment to stimulate steel demand.

“Public investment is vital for key areas like infrastructure development, technological innovation, and R&D in the steel sector. Governments must put in place necessary measures to ensure demand for good quality, green steel made by workers with decent working conditions, including through public procurement systems,” they said.

The unions also emphasize that the green transition should benefit workers and call on governments to invest in green steel with strict environmental and social conditions.

As GMK Center reported earlier, EUROFER and IndustriAll Europe have issued a joint statement on the urgency of an EU Action Plan for the steel industry to restore the industry’s competitiveness, protect the environmental transition and jobs. The parties insist that this plan should be weighty and published within the first 100 days of the new European Commission.