Caparo in crisis: Ministers must help Caparo workers, say Black Country MPs
The Government must act to ensure more than 300 Black Country workers who lost their jobs at steel giant Caparo are able to get back into work, Labour MPs have said.
Staff at five sites in Darlaston, Oldbury, Dudley, West Bromwich and Cradley Heath were told by administrators on Friday they were being laid off with immediate effect.
Around 50 former and current Caparo employees were invited to the Job Centre in West Bromwich High Street on Saturday in a bid to find a new career.
The Job Centre in Temple Street, Wolverhampton, also opened up especially for Caparo workers, providing the same service.
Caparo Atlas Fastenings in Heath Road, Darlaston was worst hit with 122 workers made redundant.
A total of 68 jobs have gone at Caparo Precision Tubes in Oldbury, as well as 64 at Caparo Forging Europe in Dudley, 59 at Fairbright Wire in West Bromwich and 10 at the Cradley Heath CMT Engineering plant.
The Darlaston, Dudley and West Bromwich sites closed with immediate effect.
Labour's deputy leader and West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson said the onus was on the Government to support those who had been left jobless after years of service to the company.
He said: "This is devastating news for employees and their families. My thoughts are with them.
"The government must act immediately to ensure all those affected are given the help they need to find new jobs, including financial assistance to retrain if necessary.
"These are highly skilled workers that our region and our country cannot afford to lose.
"A government that is quick to talk about the importance of industrial strategy should ask itself why it has failed to provide financial support to the British steel industry, one of the most strategically important industries there is."
Walsall North MP David Winnick added: "It was expected arising from the present situation. Nevertheless it is a heavy blow for the locality and the Black Country generally.
"It also undermines the constant claims the Government puts out that the economy is improving. In many aspects it's not."
Councillor Keith Chambers, who represents Bentley and Darlaston North for Walsall Council, suggested the authority could help.
He said: "I have a good number of family members who have worked there over the years and I know Caparo has been considered a firm you could stay with for years."
