In January, Daddy Iron was reported to be the primary iron terminating in Port Talbot. The town is known for its two huge blast furnaces and the large amount of iron that has been used for decades. George McDonagh travels there to see how people react. He met Gareth Edwards, who had worked there for 30 years and was worried about the thousands of jobs that could be lost.
Tata said they were losing £1m a day on site and a change from electric furnaces to greener furnaces, which required a small metal change to new steel. But in Port Talbot it was feared that this would mean the fate of other steel towns which fell into decline once the furnaces were closed.
The first summer, industrial action began and McDonagh returned to town to talk to union members and workers about the fight to save jobs. He learned of the union’s plan to slow the pace of change. But as the year wore on, he returned to hear the case, when that plan was rejected, and in the autumn the furnace was finally closed. In the winter, as the subdued city began to meet with a new future, he again addresses Edward. Near the gloom and resignation, he found some persistent hope – that there were opportunities for new, green jobs that could revive the town once again.
