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Tata Steel has put forward plans to secure the future for jobs and production at Port Talbot and other UK sites.

The announcement directly affects more than 8,000 people directly employed by Tata's strip steel business, including 4,000 at Port Talbot in South Wales, the Community union said.

Under the plan the Indian-owned company has committed to keeping two blast furnaces at the plant for a minimum five years, with no compulsory redundancies over this period.

A 10-year, £1bn investment plan for steel making at Port Talbot and the future of other sites has also been unveiled.

However, the deal does include

Community said the proposed pension changes were a "matter of serious concern", but that it had secured a better deal for the scheme that will replace the BSPS than the one originally on offer.

Union members will be balloted on the deal in the new year.

It comes after Tata said in March it planned to dispose of its UK steel assets - some of which it has sold already.

Koushik Chatterjee, group executive director for Tata Steel, said: "The agreement between Tata Steel UK and the unions today marks an important step forward in the journey to develop a sustainable future for our UK steel business.

"There is much more work to be done to make Tata Steel UK more financially sustainable, but I am confident that all stakeholders will do all they can to try to ensure that the company will be able to achieve its plan in the coming months and years." 

Community general secretary Roy Rickhuss said: "The past year has been incredibly difficult for steelworkers and their families.

"When Tata announced in March that they planned to sell the steelworks, no one knew if they would have a job by Christmas.

"This proposal would secure jobs for years to come and bring serious investment not just to Port Talbot but to steelworks across the UK."

The announcement does not cover Tata's speciality steels business in South Yorkshire, or mills in Hartlepool.

Community said it was continuing to work hard to secure a future for these sites.

Tata said last week it had on the sale of its speciality steels operation, which employs 1,700 people, for £100m to Liberty House - the company that previously rescued Tata's steelworks in Scotland.

Gareth Stace, director of industry body UK Steel, said the latest announcement would bring great relief to workers, communities and the wider industry.

But he called for Government action on a long-term plan for the sector "that secures the future of the thousands of livelihoods and businesses relying on this critical industry".

Tata's initial decision to exit the UK steel sector came as the industry buckled under pressure from cheap Chinese imports and high energy costs.

But it paused its sales plans after pledges of Government support and an agreement to restructure its hefty pension scheme.