STEEL workers in Wales have demanded the Tory government provide extra funding for the industry to decarbonise and meet environmental commitments.

Community union regional secretary Rob Edwards said today that the £300 million the Westminster government had reportedly offered would not scratch the surface of decarbonising Tata Steel’s Port Talbot operation.

He said: “The company is seeking £2 billion of government support to help decarbonise the steel process and compete with France, Netherlands and Germany.

“These countries are providing real help to their industries to process greener steel and we want a level playing field.”

Mr Edwards explained that Port Talbot did not have the infrastructure in the area for the national grid to provide the electricity needed to produce greener steel and decarbonise the process.

Welsh government economy minister Vaughan Gething said the chaos at the heart of the Westminster government is hampering Tata Steel’s attempts to enter meaningful talks to secure state investment.

“The ever-changing cast of prime ministers, chancellors and ministers is not helping this process,” he said.

Mr Edwards explained the chaos that former PM Liz Truss’s government caused the financial sector had led to her loss of office, while the Tories do not care about the manufacturing industry.

“Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is on record as saying that Tata Steel has plenty of money,” he said.

“There are 4,500 jobs at stake in Wales as well as the future of the British steel industry.”

Tata Steel UK chairman Henrik Adam told the BBC that his company was seeking British government money to decarbonise its Port Talbot steelworks.

He said: “Other nations are pouring billions of pounds into our competitors, and they give support with energy costs.”