Political figures visit Llanwern to hear concerns from workforce and management
Newport’s steelworks at Llanwern was the focus of a high-profile visit on Wednesday as Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates joined local politicians and union representatives to review operations and voice support for the site’s future.
The delegation met management and trade union officials at Tata Steel’s Llanwern complex, which produces strip steel for markets across the UK and Europe. The site includes the UK’s only automotive galvanising line, known as the ZODIAC line, and operates a pickle line and cold mill.
Reduced output and growing uncertainty
People at the meeting described the plant as working at reduced capacity because of a fall in orders. That reduction has fed concerns among workers and local representatives about the medium-term future for production and jobs in Newport.
- Location: Tata Steel Llanwern, Newport
- Key facilities: pickle line, cold mill, ZODIAC galvanising line
- Current situation: operating at reduced capacity due to lower orders
Welsh Labour emphasised that Welsh steel remains central to both the south Wales economy and the UK Government’s industrial strategy. Delegates said protecting domestic capacity was important for communities reliant on steelmaking, and for what they described as national security considerations.
"Visiting Llanwern today was crucial to stand with steelworkers, their families and the wider community of Newport," Ken Skates said, adding that cheap imported steel was placing "huge pressure on production and jobs".
Mr Skates thanked the workforce and unions for raising their concerns and called for action to ensure Welsh steel could "compete fairly". He spoke of long-term investment to secure skilled employment in the area.
Labour’s pitch: co-ordination between Wales and Westminster
Welsh Labour framed the visit as part of a wider political effort to align activity in Cardiff and Westminster to support the sector. The party said its Steel Strategy aims to see a larger share of UK steel production based in Wales, setting a target that Welsh steel should account for half of future UK output.
Local MPs and MSs who attended included Casnewydd Islwyn MS Jayne Bryant, Newport East MP Jessica Morden and Monmouthshire MP Cath Fookes. Ms Morden welcomed recent government action on steel and said she would continue raising issues such as quotas and tariffs on galvanised steel with ministers.
| Attendee | Role |
|---|---|
| Ken Skates | Welsh Labour leader |
| Jayne Bryant | MS for Casnewydd Islwyn |
| Jessica Morden | MP for Newport East |
| Cath Fookes | MP for Monmouthshire |
Those on the visit underlined the role of the Llanwern site in supplying both UK and European markets. They said support must include measures to tackle the impact of cheap imports and to improve the competitiveness of domestic production.
Representatives spoke of the need for targeted investment in facilities and skills to sustain the workforce that has historically underpinned Newport’s economy. Unions and managers at the site used the meeting to set out the immediate pressures they face and to press for policy steps that would help stabilise orders and capacity.
For residents of Newport, the Llanwern works is more than an industrial site: it forms a significant part of the city’s employment base and civic identity. The visit by senior Labour figures came as a reassurance to local people that their concerns are being carried to both Welsh and UK levels of government, even as the plant tackles a quieter order book.
As discussions continue, attention will be on any practical steps that emerge from talks with ministers — particularly around trade measures such as quotas and tariffs that local MPs say could help galvanised steel producers in Newport regain stronger volumes of work.
