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Around 1,600 workers at the Teesside Cast Products blast furnace at Redcar will lose their jobs when the plant stops production in the next few days. The plant was due to close at the end of January, but union leaders convinced the firm to keep it open through February in hopes of finding a last-minute solution to keep the plant open. Council members for the surrounding towns say that the plant closing endangers around 8,000 jobs in the area. 120 jobs were saved in Florida when the company agreed to keep nearby coke ovens operational. Britain's Business Secretary pledged 60 million pounds to help the area, but union leaders say that the money would be better spent in keeping the steelworks open, and that the plant would be profitable for whoever owns it. While the Minister of the North East says finding a buyer is a long shot, union leaders say they will not give up.