THE CHURCH SPEAKING OUT-
New occasional series. Recently a parishioner asked is the Church saying anything about…the answer is YES it does address issues and offer the press release to the media sometimes it is taken up. All of these will come from the Church in Wales web site.
We saved the banks, we must save steel –
Archbishop Dr Barry Morgan said the survival of the steel industry affected thousands of people, as well as companies across the UK and he warned that their lives and communities could be crushed if plants closed.The Archbishop was speaking at the start of his Presidential Address to the Governing Body of the Church in Wales which is meeting in Llandudno (April 6-7). His comments follow the decision by Tata Steel to close its UK operations, including its site in Port Talbot.
“It is not merely a crisis for Port Talbot and Shotton or even Wales. It is a national crisis. It raises the question of an industrial strategy for the UK, since steel is the foundation of the manufacturing base of this country and affects many other industries.
“What can be done? I am not an economist but it is a fact that business rates in the steel industry in the UK are much higher than in other parts of the EU and energy costs per ton of steel made in the UK are more than double those of Germany. Other countries have imposed tariffs on imports and massively subsidised steel production. The danger is that if all steel making plants are closed, once they are gone, the price of steel will increase and that will have far reaching repercussions on our economy and industry. It will be too late by then and people in places like Port Talbot, whose lives and communities have been shaped by the steel industry, will have been crushed.
“If the banking industry, which still does not fully appreciate the extent of its rescue, judging by the behaviour of some of its members, was deemed worth saving, surely it is worth securing a sustainable future for the steel industry in Wales and the UK. 1,055 companies in the UK list one of their main areas of business as the manufacturing or casting of steel. Its survival affects the employment prospects of many thousands of people.”
“The prospect of redundancies some months ago galvanised the churches in the town of Port Talbot to support the community as it faced the crisis. That has now been overtaken by a far worse prospect of the closure of all steel making plants in the UK. A group of 16 people from the town’s churches and chapels have formed a ministry team to help Tata’s chaplain support people struggling with stress. A debt advice centre has been set up in one of the churches and more food banks opened for the expected extra demand. All of that is highly commendable and we tend to forget at times precisely how involved Christians are in the lives of their communities.’
The Revd Bob Paul, retired Baptist Minister and former chaplain to Llanwern, Panteg and Orb steelworks said, “Please pray for our steel industry, people who work in it and other people whose livelihoods depend on it. “Pray that, if possible, the whole works is kept open. Pray for the politicians and others who are working to achieve this. Also pray that, if that cannot be, considerable thought, effort and money is devoted to regenerating the local economy, supporting people financially and spiritually, and preparing them for new sorts of employment. And pray that people be strengthened to cope with the uncertainty until the matter is settled.
From a sense of despair; from feelings of rejection and worthlessness; from the experience of powerlessness; From the threat of insecurity, Good Lord, release us. Father we hold up before you all whose livelihoods are at risk-guide all who plan our futures…..
Archbishop Dr Barry Morgan said the survival of the steel industry affected thousands of people, as well as companies across the UK and he warned that their lives and communities could be crushed if plants closed.The Archbishop was speaking at the start of his Presidential Address to the Governing Body of the Church in Wales which is meeting in Llandudno (April 6-7). His comments follow the decision by Tata Steel to close its UK operations, including its site in Port Talbot.
“It is not merely a crisis for Port Talbot and Shotton or even Wales. It is a national crisis. It raises the question of an industrial strategy for the UK, since steel is the foundation of the manufacturing base of this country and affects many other industries.
“What can be done? I am not an economist but it is a fact that business rates in the steel industry in the UK are much higher than in other parts of the EU and energy costs per ton of steel made in the UK are more than double those of Germany. Other countries have imposed tariffs on imports and massively subsidised steel production. The danger is that if all steel making plants are closed, once they are gone, the price of steel will increase and that will have far reaching repercussions on our economy and industry. It will be too late by then and people in places like Port Talbot, whose lives and communities have been shaped by the steel industry, will have been crushed.
“If the banking industry, which still does not fully appreciate the extent of its rescue, judging by the behaviour of some of its members, was deemed worth saving, surely it is worth securing a sustainable future for the steel industry in Wales and the UK. 1,055 companies in the UK list one of their main areas of business as the manufacturing or casting of steel. Its survival affects the employment prospects of many thousands of people.”
“The prospect of redundancies some months ago galvanised the churches in the town of Port Talbot to support the community as it faced the crisis. That has now been overtaken by a far worse prospect of the closure of all steel making plants in the UK. A group of 16 people from the town’s churches and chapels have formed a ministry team to help Tata’s chaplain support people struggling with stress. A debt advice centre has been set up in one of the churches and more food banks opened for the expected extra demand. All of that is highly commendable and we tend to forget at times precisely how involved Christians are in the lives of their communities.’
The Revd Bob Paul, retired Baptist Minister and former chaplain to Llanwern, Panteg and Orb steelworks said, “Please pray for our steel industry, people who work in it and other people whose livelihoods depend on it. “Pray that, if possible, the whole works is kept open. Pray for the politicians and others who are working to achieve this. Also pray that, if that cannot be, considerable thought, effort and money is devoted to regenerating the local economy, supporting people financially and spiritually, and preparing them for new sorts of employment. And pray that people be strengthened to cope with the uncertainty until the matter is settled.
From a sense of despair; from feelings of rejection and worthlessness; from the experience of powerlessness; From the threat of insecurity, Good Lord, release us. Father we hold up before you all whose livelihoods are at risk-guide all who plan our futures…..
