Liberty Steel mill 'basically derelict' - worker

Lee Bradshaw started working at the steel mills in 1985 and does not want to leave

A South Yorkshire steelworker who has seen his hours slashed due to the lack of work described the situation as "grim and soul destroying".

Lee Bradshaw is one of many employees stood down from their shift for nearly a year due to the stalling of operations at Liberty Steel in Rotherham.

Liberty Speciality Steels produces steel from scrap metal, but the company has been unable to buy the scrap needed because of financial problems and unpaid debts.

A Liberty Steel spokesperson said continuing to pay staff on short-time working hours displayed its "deep commitment to supporting Speciality Steel despite sustained challenges in the UK steel sector".

Mr Bradshaw, a team leader who started working in steel mills in 1985, said his current options were attending the melting shop where he was employed or staying at home for 80% of his salary.

"We've had short-time working since Covid," he said.

"First it was the odd week, then the odd three weeks and since last July our furnaces haven't struck a light."

On the days he goes to the melting shop, he said there was very little to do.

The steel firm avoided a winding up order last month

"There's painting and sweeping and I take myself on a walk around the plant, but it's basically derelict," Mr Bradshaw said.

"There's nothing worse than a steel mill that's not working, it's like walking around a museum.

"From what it was, hard manual work, to now be pushing a brush around and being told to do some weeding – that's not what people got a job there for, it's a waste of skills."

Liberty Speciality Steels avoided a winding up order last month after lawyers representing the firm said talks with a third-party purchaser had been taking place.

A final decision was adjourned until 16 July to allow time for the sale of the company to go through.

Liberty Steel said it averaged about 500 employees on furlough each month last year, costing the firm about £5.5m between April 2024 and March 2025.

Liberty Steel says it will fight to secure a long-term future

A spokesperson for Liberty Steel said: "Even during extended periods of inactivity, we have continued to meet operating costs, pay wages, and sustain the business.

"We will keep fighting to secure a long-term, sustainable future for Speciality Steel.

"We are actively exploring every viable option protect the business as a going concern."

Rotherham's Labour MP Sarah Champion described the situation as "absolutely unfathomable", adding: "Why is it that such a potentially profitable business isn't up and flourishing?

"We hear snippets of information about Liberty, the workers are desperate and deserve information, but at the moment we're just in a fog."

She added: "We've got a really good product, we know there's a market there. So why aren't we at full capacity right now?"

Mr Bradshaw said he could choose to retire and start receiving his pension, but he believed the plant would reopen and wanted to be there when it did.

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