FEARS were raised today that steel giant Tata is to press ahead with plans to close blast furnaces at its plant in Port Talbot, south Wales, threatening more than 3,000 jobs.

Unions met company representatives after presenting alternative proposals aimed at saving jobs at Tata’s biggest plant in Britain.

Sources said that bosses had rejected the unions’ ideas and were pressing ahead with the introduction of a greener form of steelmaking to cut emissions and stem financial losses.