Commenting on reports that Tata Steel could sell the Trostre steel plant in Llanelli, Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Minister for Economy and Finance Rhun ap Iorwerth AM said:

“The Welsh Government’s inaction is putting the livelihoods of thousands of workers at Trostre at risk.

“Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price asked the then-First Minister in November 2018 if the Welsh Government intended ‘to respond to the European Commission inquiry into the merger of ThyssenKrupp and Tata, which could mean the sale of the Trostre site’. Carwyn Jones failed to respond to the question.

“In fact, in February 2017, when the now-Deputy Minister for the Economy and Transport Lee Waters expressed his own concerns about the future sustainability of the Trostre site, the Economy Minister Ken Skates said ‘what is essential is that we give the steel sector across Wales, regardless of who owns which sites and which facilities, we give it the best possible chance of being as competitive as possible.’

“It is time now for the Welsh Government to wake up and intervene by bringing all parties around the table, and by making urgent representations to Tata, Thyssenkrupp, and the European Commission, in order to secure the many thousands of people that would be affected by the sale of the Trostre site.”

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales Helen Mary Jones added:

“I am deeply concerned at reports that Tata could sell its Trostre site in order to facilitate a merger with Thyssenkrupp. Once again, workers in Wales are facing insecurity, and the Welsh Government seems to be sitting on its hands.

“We have raised concerns about this with the Welsh Government in the past precisely because this merger could lead to downgrading in Wales.

“I have tabled an emergency question to the Economy Minister on this today, and I expect him to take swift action to protect the thousands of workers in Llanelli who are facing uncertainty.”