Unite has given a cautious welcome to a government move to designate steel, shipbuilding, AI and energy infrastructure as sectors critical to national security, according to the union.
The designation is expected to require government departments to prioritise UK businesses when procuring in these sectors, alongside new rules on purchasing British-produced steel or providing justification where this is not possible.
Unite said it has long argued that the UK steel industry should be treated as critical national infrastructure, similar to arrangements in the United States, with procurement rules aligned to support domestic capability and supply chains.
The union also called for further action, urging the government to move beyond guidance and introduce legislation to ensure that publicly funded contracts consistently favour UK industry.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “This is an important step forward and should help to ensure that more government spending is being used to back workers and their communities in key sectors of the UK economy.”
She added: “Unite has long campaigned for a ‘buy British rule’ which should define the UK’s steel industry as critical national infrastructure, and this announcement shows the government has been listening.”
Graham cautioned that further detail will determine the impact of the policy, adding: “The devil will be in the detail but Unite will keep pushing for stronger measures to ensure that more government spending is being used to back jobs in the UK.”
Good, but about 40 years too late ….. we only have 2 blast furnaces left open now.