Talks over more Corus job cuts

CRISIS talks are to start after Corus revealed the axe is hanging over even more jobs at the Scunthorpe steelworks.

The announcement comes after union chiefs scrapped a crucial ballot over plans to save the company £72-million.

The new bombshell comes just a week after the steel giant announced a shock move to axe 500 jobs in Scunthorpe, a move which angered unions who insist they were not given advance warning of the move.

As a result, unions cancelled a ballot which would have seen 3,500 steelworkers vote on whether to accept the plan to cut costs by putting their salaries and bonuses on the line or face 'hundreds' of job losses.

A Corus spokeswoman last night told the Telegraph: "We need to discuss the job reductions necessary to align employment costs at the Scunthorpe site to current and future order levels."

Mick Fell, the chairman of the Scunthorpe works multi-union committee, who headed a 10-strong delegation in London to discuss the ballot on Wednesday, said they decided to cancel the ballot because they were kept in the dark over last week's job cuts.

He added: "This resulted in the proposal to be balloted upon had become flawed.

"The outcome of our discussions in London was that the ballot could not possibly continue."

In a statement last night, Corus stressed the unions had agreed to work with management to find alternatives to job cuts at local level through the NFA which was signed in March.

But because of the economic climate, the framework was abandoned, Corus said.

In its statement, Corus added: "Further meetings between Corus managers and trade union representatives will now take place to discuss the job reductions necessary to align employment costs at the Scunthorpe site to current and future order levels."

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