Christmas comes early for Teesside
By Eye Magazine published 29 November, 2011 No CommentsWhen the former Corus site in Redcar was forced to close down with the loss of 1,600 jobs it looked like the end of an era for the area. But after an enormous amount of work from many dedicated people a saviour was found and Thai firm Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI) finally agreed to buy the Teesside Cast Products plant in March this year. The Company now anticipates that the old blast furnace should be ready to be fired up again in December, bringing major steel production back to East Cleveland. On completing the purchase seven months ago Win Viriyaprapaikit, SSI’s president, said the signing of the deal was a “historic and wonderful day. We are very excited to be here, to be part of this. I think it is a wonderful place. We want to ensure that the 170 year heritage of steel making continues and we will put plans in place so that younger people can learn from this experience and carry on as the next generation of steel makers.”
It certainly was a ‘historic and wonderful day,’ but the huge recruitment campaign that has seen almost 10,000 people apply for 1,000 new jobs at the revamped facility has ensured that even greater days are imminent for the successful applicants. For some, those great days have already begun as the first hundred have now begun their induction ready for the anticipated start of production on the eighth of December.
A company spokesman said some of the new starters were ex-steelworkers who had been employed at the plant, formerly owned by Tata Steel when it was forced to close.
For many, of course, there has been disappointment, but for the successful ones Christmas has most certainly come early and we wish them all well. Let us hope this new collaboration between Teesside and Thailand means that these new careers last long into the future. Steelmaking, after all, belongs on Teesside!
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