Community groups and leaders protest against planned steelworks closures in Lanarkshire
Community groups joined hundreds of supporters in a march to save the closure of the steel industry in Scotland at the weekend.
Groups from across Lanarkshire joined workers, union reps and politicians on Saturday (7 November) in a bid to save the Dalzell and Clydbridge streelworks in Motherwell and Cambuslang from closure.
Owners Tata announced the mothballing of the plants last month with the loss of 270 jobs.
There closure would mean the end of the steel industry in Scotland.
Protesters marched from the Dalzell plant to the site of the former Ravenscraig works in Motherwell.
The mood is upbeat, the guys are still positive that everything can be done for the two plants to be saved - Derek Fearon
There, community leaders gave speeches and called on the Scottish Government to do all that was possible to save the sites.
First minister Nicola Sturgeon has promised to do everything in her power to secure the future of the industry and set up a taskforce with the priority of finding a new commercial operator for the two plants.
Community union representative Derek Fearon said: '”We are trying to raise awareness of the campaign, and hopefully through this Tata will become a responsible seller.
''The main aim of the taskforce, the priority of it, is for the two plants to remain open.
''The mood is upbeat, the guys are still positive that everything can be done for the two plants to be saved.''
MSP and former steel worker John Pentland, who led a parliamentary debate on the issue on Wednesday, addressed those on the march.
He said: ''There is no doubt that our steel workers at Dalzell and Clydebridge are at the sharp end of unfair competition, where Chinese steel production pays less heed to working conditions, health and safety, and quality.
''I believe Scottish steel can have a future, and we must consider all the options to achieve that."
Former Rangers owner Sir David Murray is reportedly in talks to buy the two sites.
Steelmaking employed more than 10,000 people in plants and surrounding businesses in central Scotland at its peak, with Ravenscraig once the biggest producer of hot-strip steel in Europe.
