The International Steel Industry Restructuring, State Policies and Localities

Originally published in 1989. The international steel industry suffered a major decline after the onset of world recession in 1973, perhaps suffering more plant closures and job losses than any other sector. This book analyses the decline, surveying the various factors which have contributed to it, such as changing production strategies, changes in demand and world trade and changing regional production trends. It goes on to examine the impact of decline on steel-making communities, considering the various local, national and international initiatives to assist the affected areas and the way these initiatives have been devised and implemented. The authors conclude that none of these policies has satisfactorily resolved the crisis in the old steel producing areas and that a major crisis in these areas continues. Finally they discuss the social and political options open to these localities for the future.

Preface 1. Steel, the World Economy, and Locality: Some Introductory Remarks 2. New Patterns of Production and Trade in the World Steel Industry 3. Contesting Steel Closures: Twists and Turns on the Path of Decline in Western Europe and the USA 4. Replacing Steel Jobs: State Policies for Re-industrialization 5. Future Directions for Steel Towns, Steelworkers, and the Steel Industry