The UK steel industry has suffered a double blow after Kent-based Thamesteel went into administration putting 400 jobs at risk, while Tata announced 110 job losses at its plant at Corby in Northamptonshire.
Michael Leahy, general secretary of the Community trade union, urged the administrators to find a buyer for the Kent company and its "committed" workforce.
"This is devastating news for everybody who works at Thamesteel and for the wider community in Sheerness.
"Community believes that Sheerness steelmaking can have a future and we will be doing all we can to save our steel in the coming weeks and months," he said.
Tata announced its redundancies following a "detailed review" of its European businesses.
