WORKERS at transnational steel conglomerate Tata are to vote on strike action over company plans to abolish their £13 billion pension scheme.

India-based Tata, which took over formerly publicly owned British Steel, plans to close down the British Steel Pension Scheme, meaning that it will no longer accept new members and contributions to it from both workers and employers will be stopped.

GMB national officer Dave Hulse said: “By balloting for industrial action, we are sending a clear message to the company that nobody wants to see the scheme closed because they know the impact it will have on themselves and their families.”

As well as GMB, members of Community, Unite and construction union Ucatt will also be balloted.

Voting starts on May 6 and ends on May 29.

The pension scheme has 143,000 members — 17,004 Tata employees and 91,264 people already drawing their pensions — and is valued at around £13.6 billion.

National Trade Union Steel Co-ordinating Committee chair Roy Rickhuss said: “Our members are determined to stand up for their pension and therefore we have no option but to proceed to an industrial action ballot in May.”

Mr Rickhuss, who is also general secretary of Community, noted that Tata’s company policy was supposedly committed to “improving the quality of life of the communities they serve.”

Unite national officer for steel Harish Patel added: “There can be no doubt about the strength of feeling among employees in opposition to Tata Steel Europe’s unnecessary and unjustified decision to close the British Steel Pension Scheme.”