In a significant blow to the south Wales economy, Tata Steel is poised to announce job losses of up to 3,000 at its Port Talbot steelworks, the largest of its kind in the UK.
The Tata board is currently convening in India, where Tata Steel is headquartered, leaving workers on tenterhooks.
If enacted, the number of workers at Port Talbot will be reduced by 75%, a consequence of a major shift in steel production methods.
Tata-owned Port Talbot received half a billion pounds in UK government subsidies earlier this year in a bid to transition to greener steel production.
This initiative, while environmentally commendable, will see the replacement of existing coal-powered blast furnaces with new £1.25bn electric arc furnaces, thus reducing the number of workers needed at the site.
Tata also pledged more than £700 million of its own money to Port Talbot’s green transition, which group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described as "a defining moment for the future of the steel industry" but the Welsh government sounded warning bells.
"While today's announcement contains significant investment for the longer term, it is inevitable that Tata employees, and their families, are focused on the impact it will have on jobs in Port Talbot and Tata's downstream facilities," the government stated.
Describing the situation as a "worrying time for the whole community," the Welsh government urged Tata back in September to engage in consultations with staff and trade unions.
The Guardian quoted a Tata spokesperson, stating: "We believe our £1.25bn proposal to transition to green steelmaking will secure the business for the longer term, bolster UK steel security and help develop a green ecosystem in the region.
“We are committed to meaningful information and consultation process with our trade union partners and will carefully consider any proposals put forward.”
The GMB union, along with Community and Unite, intend to oppose the job cuts.
"If this plan remains unchanged, Tata and UK government have fired the starting gun on the death of UK steel," said GMB's national officer for steel Charlotte Brumpton-Childs.