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8 November, 2001Top official of British Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, in Australia for IMF Congress, returns to the UK because of the tragedy.
GREAT BRITAIN: An explosion which occurred in a furnace at the giant Port Talbot steelworks in South Wales on November 8 has killed one worker and gravely injured 13. According to the Corus steel group, owner of the former British Steel plant, the blast and fires followed a "serious escape" of molten iron. Although there have been major incidents before at this steelworks, which has been in operation since the turn of the last century, this one is reported to have been much larger than ever before.
Because of the tragedy, the general secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC), Michael Leahy, who is also president of the International Metalworkers' Federation Iron, Steel & Non-Ferrous Metals Department, is flying to the UK from Australia, where he was to attend the IMF's 30th World Congress. The ISTC organises workers at the Port Talbot steel plant, and some of its members were among the injured.
The UK Health & Safety Executive is conducting an investigation into the incident.
Port Talbot, employing some 3,000 people, was among the plants affected by the job cuts announced last February by Corus. The South Wales plant has an annual production of approximately 3 million tonnes of steel.
Because of the tragedy, the general secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC), Michael Leahy, who is also president of the International Metalworkers' Federation Iron, Steel & Non-Ferrous Metals Department, is flying to the UK from Australia, where he was to attend the IMF's 30th World Congress. The ISTC organises workers at the Port Talbot steel plant, and some of its members were among the injured.
The UK Health & Safety Executive is conducting an investigation into the incident.
Port Talbot, employing some 3,000 people, was among the plants affected by the job cuts announced last February by Corus. The South Wales plant has an annual production of approximately 3 million tonnes of steel.