#Steel workers' joint protest in Brussels over failures to save steel jobs

GMB members in the steel industry in the UK joined thousands of steelmakers from other EU nations on Monday (15 February) in Brussels outside the EU special high-level conference for stakeholders in energy intensive industries to demand action.

GMB National Officer Dave Hulse said: "The Commission has done next to nothing to save steel jobs. The Commission is now directly responsible for bringing more misery to the industry that has been rocked with job losses and communities that are being destroyed.

"We need Prime Minister Cameron to get off the fence and forcefully tell Brussels that this toothless action will do nothing whatsoever to assist the UK steel industry.

"For example the Commission’s own investigations of Chinese exports showed a dumping margin of more than 60% on reinforcement steel bar used in the construction industry.

"The EU decision last week to impose a duty between 9,2% and 13% on dumped Chinese rebar demonstrates that Brussels is either sleep walking or deliberately allowing the destruction of the UK steel industry.

"This once again demonstrates that market economy status should not be granted to the Chinese. But we all know Cameron has different views on that. If action is not taken to increase the duties then it leaves the whole of the industry at risk.

"This failure by EU politicians to act to stop to stop the dumping of Chinese steel from a country that is not a market economy is intolerable."

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