British Steel is planning to close the coke ovens at one of its plants, with the loss of up to 260 jobs, the company announced. The Chinese-owned steelmaker said the move at its site in Scunthorpe was part of its drive to overcome global economic challenges and build a “green and sustainable future”.
The company said its bills for energy and carbon increased by £190 million last year. It said “decisive action” was required because of the “unprecedented rise” in operating costs, surging inflation and the need to improve environmental performance.
The Unite union raised the threat of industrial action to fight the job cuts. It called the firm "greedy" and said it would not accept redundancies.
