PROFITEERS who took over Durham Tees Valley airport are trying to abolish the workers’ pension scheme, activists warned yesterday.

The airport was owned by four Teesside councils until 2002 when the Peel Group took a 75 per cent stake in the airport.

It also took over the staff, who were council employees.

Now Peel has told the local authorities that it wants to withdraw the staff from the local government pension scheme.

Airports unions GMB and Unison have demanded to meet bosses.

“The local government pension scheme on Teesside, which is administered by Middlesbrough Council, is recognised as being one of the best pension schemes going and workers at the airport have been paying into it for years,” said Unison regional organiser Mike Hill.

“The claim that the future viability of the airport depends on Peel pulling out of the scheme is alarming and clearly very worrying for workers.”