Nationalise Port Talbot?

[sparkie]

I confronted the guy at the chinese takeaway about steel prices.
He said 'nothing to do with me.'
A chinese mealy mouthed reply.

 

[Honky Tonx]

May be British workers are paid too much. Chinese steel companies should wait and then buy up the British steel industry offering new contracts to those who used to work at the factories at a reduced rate of pay. If those workers are not willing to work at the wages offered, I'm sure there are plenty from Eastern Europe who would be

 

[JetsetJimbo]

By paying the Port Talbot workers the same as their Chinese counterparts it would help to reduce the price of the steel produced. May be British workers are paid too much.

Given that the use of slave labour and child labour is rife in China (with a conservative estimate putting the figure of 3m people working in slavery in the country), perhaps you could elaborate a little on precised what it is you want for the people of Britain?

 

[CHAPPERS]

I'm a sheet metal worker. The problem with Tata is that they make crap steel. A lot of our suppliers now source from China because Tata had some quality issues with their coils.

I was folding a job only a month ago and the material kept splitting, it's not supposed to. Was traced back to Tata plant at Port Talbot.

If you make sub standard steel, buyers will notice and buy from elsewhere. We try and actively avoid Tata where possible.

This is probably the most enlightening thing I've read or heard so far on this matter.

 

[Honky Tonx]

I'm just exploring ways in which the cost of steel production can be reduced. Why pay more for something that one can buy cheeper elsewhere? Let's look at it this way, If you go into a shop and you see two or more items that do exactly the same thing, which one would you buy? Why are shops like Aldi and Lidl doing so well?

 

[darkwolf666]

Given that the use of slave labour and child labour is rife in China (with a conservative estimate putting the figure of 3m people working in slavery in the country), perhaps you could elaborate a little on precised what it is you want for the people of Britain?

Sounds like a steal from the Tory manifesto. Gives the employer more flexibility for their use of the workforce, ok, so some may die along the way and others live in poverty, but hey if it makes the company/country/pigs with snouts in the trough some money then it is worth it in the end!

 

[CHAPPERS]

I'm just exploring ways in which the cost of steel production can be reduced. Why pay more for something that one can buy cheeper elsewhere? Let's look at it this way, If you go into a shop and you see two or more items that do exactly the same thing, which one would you buy? Why are shops like Aldi and Lidl doing so well?

Comparing steel to ketchup isn't a great starting point.

 

[Biscuit]

It's not just about safe-guarding jobs. It would be ludicrously naive to increase our dependency of foreign nations to produce our steel. Even if it costs more to produce it here, when you factor 20,000 people on the dole I wonder how those figures stack up.

 

[beorhthelm]

It's not just about safe-guarding jobs. It would be ludicrously naive to increase our dependency of foreign nations to produce our steel. Even if it costs more to produce it here, when you factor 20,000 people on the dole I wonder how those figures stack up.

on the other hand, should we keep inefficient, antiquated factories open just for the sake of it? its been highlighted here that the product of Port Talbot might not be up to scratch, elsewhere i have read the plant in question is older blast furnace that are more expensive and less flexible than other types. if we want to say we keep a steel making capacity, we must at least make sure its suitable.

 

[Honky Tonx]

OK then, you want to buy a war ship, If you have it built in Scotland it's going to take longer and will be more expensive than if you have it built in South Korea. Which option would you go for?

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

OK then, you want to buy a war ship, If you have it built in Scotland it's going to take longer and will be more expensive than if you have it built in South Korea. Which option would you go for?

Probably Scotland as we have the capability to do it, it would give us complete control over the manufacture and any military secrets attached to production don't have to be shared.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Thing is here it is more about China flooding the market with extremely cheap steel. I guess your scenario will come about when China has killed off all the opposition, then they can charge what they like, then it would get interesting!

Well exactly. The EU can say, look we want this deal on steel and we'll give you this deal on what we export, and it is a trade agreement on bulk. We'd be left to do this on our own and may or may not be disadvantaged.

 

[beorhthelm]

OK then, you want to buy a war ship, If you have it built in Scotland it's going to take longer and will be more expensive than if you have it built in South Korea. Which option would you go for?

Scotland, or elsewhere in the UK. defense is strategic and cost is a lower priority. military kit is expensive and the main cost are in the fitting anyway.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Cameron's response is pretty pathetic as expected.

 

[Honky Tonx]

Ok, any ship then. How about a washing machine, motor car, motor bike, electric blanket, toaster, teas made, picnic basket, cuddly toy, set of garden tools or even a sheet of steel

 

[CHAPPERS]

Ok, any ship then. How about a washing machine, motor car, motor bike, electric blanket, toaster, teas made, picnic basket, cuddly toy, set of garden tools or even a sheet of steel

Cuddly toys aren't made of steel.

 

[Honky Tonx]

Cuddly toys aren't made of steel.

take the cuddly toys off the list

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

My day job is planning and risk management - I'm forever trying to look ahead and smooth the way.
This is coming over as a bomb-shell - did nobody see this coming?
I've done some economics at Uni - I'm a firm believer in market forces - if a product has a demand and demand is influenced by quality and price, not just need, it will sell.
If there is competition that you can't match on quality and price [for whatever reason] and you can't easily fix your price / quality disadvantage - you get out.

History has shown us that when a community has become dependant on a single employer and that employer goes to the wall, as painful as it is, life goes on.
But someone should have seen this coming .....

 

[Biscuit]

on the other hand, should we keep inefficient, antiquated factories open just for the sake of it? its been highlighted here that the product of Port Talbot might not be up to scratch, elsewhere i have read the plant in question is older blast furnace that are more expensive and less flexible than other types. if we want to say we keep a steel making capacity, we must at least make sure its suitable.

Then pay to have it upgraded.

It would be verging on the insane for us not to be able to produce steel as a nation. Surely it's a matter of national security?

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Should it shut down and we lose this manufacturing capability, how easy would it be to reopened again if prices and demand meant it would be profitable once more?

Haven't some of the manufacturers plants in this country previously closed, only to reopen years later?


When there were too many cars being produced at the last recession, a lot of plants reduced or stopped production until a lot of the surplus had gone