[Ferro-Alloys.com]

The National Post reported that the union for Algoma’s 2,700 workers fears the recently revealed plans to switch to EAF steel could mean hundreds of fewer jobs and they will have to bear a lopsided burden for Canada’s carbon-reduction goals. United Steelworkers local 2251 President Mr Mike Da Prat asked “If this is helping Canada meet some kind of target, what about the people that are involved and working in the coal-fired process? Who decided this was OK? It’s nice that there are 500 jobs for people in construction of the electric furnaces but what about the employees of Algoma?”  Mr Da Prat worries about what will happen in five years or so when the conversion is finished and all the coal-fired facilities are shut down. He said “Because the electric arc plants require fewer people to run and need less maintenance, the net loss of jobs at the company itself, based on plans outlined in Monday’s announcement could be in the hundreds.”  The union actually boycotted the prime minister’s announcement, saying the company has refused to consult it on the redevelopment plan, which the USW argues is required by the collective agreement. The federal government also did not reach out to the union  The company plans to phase out its coal based steel-making facilities, which extract iron from iron ore then turn it into steel. They would be replaced with furnaces that melt scrap metal. It is hoped the conversion would reduce emissions from the steel mill by 3 million tonnes a year within a decade. That would be a full 11% of the national carbon-reduction target.

• [Editor:李慧]