Tata Steel to act to "lessen the impact" of pension plans

Majority of Unite members vote for action joining members of Community, GMB and Ucatt

Tata Steel is to announce new measures to lessen the impact of proposed pension changes after members of another union representing its workers have voted to go on strike.

Members of Community, the GMB and Ucatt have already voted in favour of strikes in protest at the closure of the final salary pension scheme.

As of December 2014, the British Steel Pension Scheme had 143,000 members, with 17,004 making up employee members and 91,264 making up pensioner members - it has a predicted shortfall of £2 billion. 

However, a Tata Steel spokesman said: "We have worked hard to find a fair and balanced way of overcoming these challenges. We are disappointed therefore that no shared recommendation with the unions could be reached.

"We have over the last few months listened carefully to our employees during a consultation process. We've held face-to-face pension roadshows with 5,000 employees and we've received 4,000 letters and emails.

"In response to this feedback, we will soon be announcing new measures which will lessen the impact of the proposed pension changes, particularly on our longest-serving employees nearing retirement age.

"We hope that these important changes to our proposals will be welcomed by employees and the trade unions and that they will consider this when deciding on any industrial action."

Union leaders will meet next week to decide their next move.