First Minister Nicola Surgeon has given steel workers in Lanarkshire her “absolute guarantee” she will do everything in her power to secure the future of two plants earmarked for closure.
The SNP leader pledged Scottish Government would work to find a new operator for the two Tata Steel sites north of the border.
She made the commitment during a visit to the factories in Dalzell and Clydebridge yesterday.
Tata Steel announced earlier this week it would mothball both sites – putting 270 jobs at risk – and blamed falling demand and cheaper international competition for the decision.
Ms Sturgeon has already established a steel jobs “taskforce”, headed by Business Minister Fergus Ewing.
The first minister said: “The quality of the work done at these sites is outstanding and it is clear that all of the workers have a great deal of pride in what they do.
“During my visit, I was struck by the determination of everyone on site to keep these plants open and I was able to reassure them that the Scottish Government will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to help them do that.
“The taskforce I announced earlier this week is an important starting point in those efforts.
“It will bring together a range of people, including unions, local authorities, politicians and other agencies to focus on identifying new owners, maintaining the operation and retaining the highly skilled jobs in Dalzell and Clydebridge.
“I am delighted that we have been able to agree with the company that they will support the Scottish Government to try and find a buyer.”
She added: “The taskforce will also consider wider support for the workforce at this difficult time, including what can be done to ensure that the modern apprentices (MAs) employed on site do not have their education affected.”
But Labour MSP James Kelly said: “The first minister has made a lot of promises to the steel workers.
“It’s now time to start delivering on those promises. Words of support are fine, but it’s actions that really count.
“There are two key things the SNP government must do. The first is to look at whether major infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Scottish Government could support the steel industry through the procurement process.
“The SNP government must also work with Tata Steel to protect the assets at the Clydebridge and Dalzell plants.”