The Welsh First Minister has defended the UK Government’s efforts in negotiating a better deal for workers at Tata Steel.

Traditional steelmaking has come to an end but Tata Steel bosses insist it is only a matter of time until a greener operation is underway. | ITV News Wales

The last remaining blast furnace in Port Talbot will stop producing steel on Monday, ending the traditional method of steelmaking in south Wales. Tata Steel is expected to remove the last usable liquid iron from blast furnace 4 on Monday afternoon.

Tata Steel UK chief executive Rajesh Nair said he is conscious of how ‘difficult’ it will be for everyone as production comes to an end.

The blast furnaces now belong to Port Talbot's past but the steel industry is no stranger to change and shifts in technology. | ITV News Wales

The move away from making steel from scratch using iron ore and coal to recycling metal in a new £1.25bn electric arc furnace could lead to a "90% reduction in dust from the works' chimneys", Tata has claimed. But for Port Talbot, the prospect of cleaner air comes at a cost - with around 2000 jobs lost.

Braving the opposition from workers and political parties for almost a year, the Indian company stuck to its plan to end steelmaking operation at the South Wales site on September 30, with the closure of the sinter plant,