Sanjeev Gupta, the businessman who could potentially save Tata Steel’s United Kingdom assets, will meet the government in London to discuss a rescue plan for Port Talbot today.
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Javid also revealed that Liberty House – owned by Sanjeev Gupta – is not the only company to show interest.
“The apparent lack of urgency from Sajid Javid and absence of a clear plan from the Government is disturbing for the tens of thousands whose livelihoods hang in balance and deeply troubling for British Steel’s 140,000 pensioners”.
Mr Javid also said that he will be travelling to Mumbai to discuss the details with Tata Chairman Cyrus Mistry.
Trade unionists in Medway have reacted angrily to the announcement by steel giant Tata it is selling its United Kingdom plants.
Mr Jones said the Government had had discussions with more than one potential buyer, adding: “They’re early days yet, but we do have something to build on, even at this early stage”.
“So our commitment would be not just to produce what is now produced but actually to expand production eventually in due course”.
The Unite members expressed alarm over reports that the Tata Group was going through the motions and was looking to dispose off its United Kingdom steel operations in a matter of weeks.
But Mr Jones said he would be asking Mr Cameron to provide an assurance that the Government would take Tata Steel’s plants in Wales into public ownership until an investor comes forward.
The steel industry crisis has been driven by falling prices and a global oversupply. “We have to guarantee the industry, we have to guarantee the jobs and the pensions, we have to be prepared to take a public stake in it to guarantee that”, he said.
Steve McCool, national officer of the Community union, said terms and conditions at Scunthorpe would be restored after a year. He has future plans to invest there.
“These are bread-and-butter policies that should have been providing opportunities to United Kingdom steel producers already”, he said.
Yesterday steel workers unions called for a “protective arm” from the United Kingdom and Welsh Governments and warned the loss of the industry would have an impact on everyone’s lives.
He told BBC that his group’s alternative suggestion would be to still make hot metal, but to make it from local raw scrap material rather than imported raw material: “Making new steel doubles our carbon footprint”.
Industry analysts have said the use of scrap will increase in coming years.
Gupta said staff working on the blast furnaces could be retrained.
“I won’t undertake something which will require mass redundancies”, Gupta said.
The government said councils and NHS trusts will be asked to consider the economic impact of buying from overseas.
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“Tata now supply Crossrail with high quality materials, cheap imports will be no substitute and could lead to delays, lay-offs and possible redundancies to these vital infrastructure projects”.
