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PRIVACY
Manufacturing

Liberty Steel confirms 162 redundancies at Stocksbridge plant but creates as many jobs in Rotherham

The South Yorkshire steel giant said plans to invest in its GREENSTEEL operation would create 161 jobs while 162 would be lost at its Stocksbridge plant

A steel sheet is bent in to a 'U' shape before being turned into a pipe at Liberty Steel's mill in Hartlepool(Image: Bloomberg)

Liberty Steel º£½ÇÊÓÆµ has confirmed a restructuring of its Stocksbridge High Value Manufacturing plant that will spell 162 job losses, though investment at its Rotherham Greensteel facility will create nearly as many roles.

The manufacturer - which recently staved off a winding up petition threatening thousands of jobs - said it was seeking either an outright sale or partnership for its special alloys business which supplies to the aerospace and energy sectors.

Liberty said the restructuring of its special alloys business would involve consultation with employees and unions and would include 162 redundancies at its Stocksbridge plant along with 45 at its Performance Steels business in West Bromwich.

Read more: More than 6,000 jobs created across the North through Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund

At the same time, investment in Liberty's Greensteel operation at Rotherham - part of an ambition to grow it into a two million tonne per year recycling facility feeding other parts of the business - would create up to 161 jobs.

A statement from the firm said it would try to minimise redundancies by transferring employees to comparable roles at the Rotherham plant.

Jeffrey Kabel, chief transformation officer at Liberty Steel Group said: “Liberty’s special alloys are unique, high potential businesses, and their quality products are prized by customers in strategic sectors such as aerospace and energy. The steps we’re announcing today will help ensure they are competitive in the future, with job creation at our Rotherham plant enabling us to mitigate a large percentage of role reductions at other sites.

"It sets a strong platform for Liberty's Greensteel expansion in which we will increase recycling of steel scrap in low carbon electric arc furnaces to meet growing demand in infrastructure and construction.”