Root cause of job losses

In the article, Crunch steel talks must make progress (Mail, March 2), the union rhetoric is confirmation that they are living in denial.

The tragic sequence of job losses in the UK steel industry can all be traced to a common source.

Namely, the EU and three EU policy directives that the UK has slavishly adopted.

The EU Energy Policy.

The loading of excessive energy costs on to an energy intensive industry can only lead to un-competitiveness and, ultimately, job losses.

So it has proved.

This EU energy policy is based on the so-called “green” agenda.

This adds about £300 a year on to a domestic dual fuel bill.

Not much imagination is needed to accept what it does to an industry like steel production.

The dumping of Chinese steel onto our market further exacerbated this problem.

As laws governing “dumping are an EU competence”, the UK was powerless (and still is) to do anything about it.

The trade unions were very vociferous as thousands of jobs were being lost and kept on bleating about the lack of state aid to prevent the plant closures.

The TUs knew full well that the UK is forbidden to give state aid because of EU competition rules. QED.

To constantly refuse to acknowledge the EU as the elephant in the room in this tragedy should be a warning to trade unionists.

Given the above, is it not strange to note that the majority of trade unions support the “remain” camp in the forthcoming referendum?

Dave Pascoe,

Press Secretary,

Ukip, Hartlepool branch,

Dunbar Road,

Hartlepool.