Why did the steel works go under?

[Janner 10]

I thought that Sheffield was still producing a large amount of steel. Does anyone have steel output totals , say for 1950 & 2012?

[trevorb 10]

The writing was indeed on the wall. In many ways.

 

When Steelo's built their first (and last) new mill at Templeborough, the whole thing was designed in Sweden.

 

The Project Manager was also the designer, a nice chap named Gunnar Nordstrom. He would come by almost every day and ask us mere peasants how thing were going.

 

Quite a change, I'd say, because we had never even met the owners of our small contracting company!

 

I thought that the mill housings were davy United, The furnaces were british. The controls were honeywell and the measuring equipment were german. The two mainframes were british also. The motors and electrical equipment were british. What exactly was swedish about the mill?

[mypalseger 11]

Hy did they call that mill the Brinworth mill when I worked at Steelos we went there on the weekend shut downs from central maintenance workshops I was a fitter there I visited there in 2010 it is now a museum it run s some times when it is needed it is run by some off shore company

Brinsworth Mill is still operating. Owned by Tata. I worked there for 30 years and enjoyed my time there. Retired 9 years ago with a decent pension. Mainly thanks to the "awful" unions.

[Hampson 10]

Brinsworth Mill is still operating. Owned by Tata. I worked there for 30 years and enjoyed my time there. Retired 9 years ago with a decent pension. Mainly thanks to the "awful" unions.

 

Thank you mypal it is still sad that is that is all that is left of a company that size well I know I made the right move right Brian

[trastrick 866]

I thought that the mill housings were davy United, The furnaces were british. The controls were honeywell and the measuring equipment were german. The two mainframes were british also. The motors and electrical equipment were british. What exactly was swedish about the mill?

 

Think of it like a Toyota or a Honda plant in South Carolina.

 

The parts are made in the U.S., the workers are American, so you could ask, what exactly is Japanese about it?

 

A new concept, design, management, seamless sourcing, more automation, less union influence at a time when unions were killing the old status quo manufacturers like Firth Vickers etc. An uninterrupted build program which saw the mill built in a relatively short time. Contingency planning, - none of the old "the van broke down" excuses.

 

And, of course, the fact that they went to Sweden and took a (then) state of the art operation, and brought it, and it's designer to Templeborough, to replicate it here.

 

The difference between say, a works canteen, and a McDonalds.

Edited February 20, 2014 by trastrick

[trevorb 10]

And, of course, the fact that they went to Sweden and took a (then) state of the art operation, and brought it, and it's designer to Templeborough, to replicate it here.

 

The difference between say, a works canteen, and a McDonalds.

 

 

 

I would hardly call it state of the art, even when it was laid down. Brinsworth Mill, like a lot of British industry suffered from a lack of investment. Brinsworth Mill, like Templeborough melting shop was still using computers that used Germanium transistors (Ferranti Argus 100's) well into the late 1980's. Brinsworth Mill was using Honeywell Pneumatic 3 term controllers and thermionic valve equipment.

[trastrick 866]

And, of course, the fact that they went to Sweden and took a (then) state of the art operation, and brought it, and it's designer to Templeborough, to replicate it here.

 

The difference between say, a works canteen, and a McDonalds.

 

 

 

I would hardly call it state of the art, even when it was laid down. Brinsworth Mill, like a lot of British industry suffered from a lack of investment. Brinsworth Mill, like Templeborough melting shop was still using computers that used Germanium transistors (Ferranti Argus 100's) well into the late 1980's. Brinsworth Mill was using Honeywell Pneumatic 3 term controllers and thermionic valve equipment.

 

I was there helping build it and the management style had little to do with the equipment. We were all brought together to explain to us what was happening (a first), what they were trying to achieve. Even though I was working for an independent firm who had other contracts with all the major mills and wasn't particularly invested in their program, nevertheless we felt part of the team.

 

We were asked for suggestions (Gasp!), the project manager came by every day to see how we were doing (actually talked to us), and he made sure that we had all the necessary supplies we needed. A little different from the annual state visit by some Lord Nuffield or other owner.

 

And, quite different from across the street at the old mill, where we would skive for days in some shack, drinking tea, playing cards, while waiting for our requisition slips to go through three levels of approval.

Edited February 20, 2014 by trastrick

[mikebatty 10]

Thats the biggest crap ever spoken.

 

I've never worked since in such an industry ruled by nepotism, unions, demarkation and outright bone idleness.

 

It never ceases to amaze me what short memories people have and , how the add 2+2 and arrive at the answer of five . The younger ones on the thread can be excused for not understanding .

In simple terms , the workers in the manufacturing industries in this country were able to exercise some degree of input into their reward for the work and hours which they gave to the industries in which they worked . That was not only the steel works but also the dockers , transport workers ,miners, postal workers and many others . The upshot was that thatcher and her puppets did not like that .The result was that the manufacturing industry in this country was decimated and the workers lost their advantage .

To-day however, It is the bankers and the financiers which hold the country to ransom, much to the delight of the tory grandees and , with no real opposition from the masses . Not that they have much say anyway. Thatcher and all her lot saw to that .

As for the present lot. Yes , including that watered down tory from hallam, have ensured that the screws have been tightened even more on the workers.

All to many people believe what the politicians tell them instead of trusting their own instincts .

[Bob England 11]

It never ceases to amaze me what short memories people have and , how the add 2+2 and arrive at the answer of five . The younger ones on the thread can be excused for not understanding .

In simple terms , the workers in the manufacturing industries in this country were able to exercise some degree of input into their reward for the work and hours which they gave to the industries in which they worked . That was not only the steel works but also the dockers , transport workers ,miners, postal workers and many others . The upshot was that thatcher and her puppets did not like that .The result was that the manufacturing industry in this country was decimated and the workers lost their advantage .

To-day however, It is the bankers and the financiers which hold the country to ransom, much to the delight of the tory grandees and , with no real opposition from the masses . Not that they have much say anyway. Thatcher and all her lot saw to that .

As for the present lot. Yes , including that watered down tory from hallam, have ensured that the screws have been tightened even more on the workers.

All to many people believe what the politicians tell them instead of trusting their own instincts .

 

I have lived my life on the move, but have returned to Sheffield every year for the last 50 albeit for only a few weeks at a time.

 

I see what you think of Tory politicians and I have some sympathy, but mate, the unions did not help. I saw steel mills open in India after they closed here, I saw the shipping industry bloom in Norway and Singapore as it died on the Tyne. I cant say exactly what went wrong, but every time you looked in the paper abroad some one was on strike here, and for what? shorter hours, more pay, less work.

 

Abroad they either installed cutting edge technology to make things quicker and cheaper, or people were prepared to work harder for less money.

 

At the end of the day and in answer to the guy who started this thread "why did the steelworks go under?" Mate they went under because they were forced under, then they were held under by worker and management until they were dead.

[mikebatty 10]

I have lived my life on the move, but have returned to Sheffield every year for the last 50 albeit for only a few weeks at a time.

 

I see what you think of Tory politicians and I have some sympathy, but mate, the unions did not help. I saw steel mills open in India after they closed here, I saw the shipping industry bloom in Norway and Singapore as it died on the Tyne. I cant say exactly what went wrong, but every time you looked in the paper abroad some one was on strike here, and for what? shorter hours, more pay, less work.

 

Abroad they either installed cutting edge technology to make things quicker and cheaper, or people were prepared to work harder for less money.

 

At the end of the day and in answer to the guy who started this thread "why did the steelworks go under?" Mate they went under because they were forced under, then they were held under by worker and management until they were dead.

 

I wouldn't argue with your last comment at all , for you are quite right . However , it is the fundamentals which bring us to that scenario where I would have some difference .

[PopT 10]

I worked in the steelworks for 30 years and spent sometime in different places. One thing I was told but never really found the truth is the fact that the new mill at Brinsworth was built the wrong way round. The steel ran from North to South making the steel magnetic and antimagnetic equipment was fitted to counteract this. I do not know if any of this is true but I'm sure someone with knowledge will put the record straight for me.

 

Happy Days! PopT

[glennC 10]

I worked in the steel works as a young man from 1968 to 1981 and some of the things I saw were quite simply unbelievable.

 

the foreman, you had better have a very good reason to wake him up after 10.30pm on nights because he had a day job as a windowcleaner.

 

young lads, waiting for the foreman to go to sleep, then getting changed and going out clubbing until the early hours( I kid you not)

 

the piece work was SO easy, the day man would get so far in front the night shift, not all of them I admit, would probably have around 3 hours work to do in a 10 hour shift.

 

card schools, a table tennis table every board game you could think of, loads of men asleep every shift.

 

nobody will tell me that these actions didn't have some effect on the outcome of why the steelworks shut down.