Imerys says changes to the pension scheme were 'necessary'

About 300 workers from Imerys sites at St Austell in Cornwall and Lee Moor in Devon made the decision at meetings they attended over the weekend.

Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G) officials are angered at changes the French-owned company wants to make to workers' pension schemes.

But Imerys says the changes are needed to protect the pension fund.

The effects of strike action on Imerys and the local economy will be devastating Kate Lyne, Imerys senior human resources manager

The company has closed the final salary pension scheme to new members and has changed the accrual rate which defines the final pension.

Union representatives claim it will mean employees could lose up to a third of their pension benefits.

T&G national secretary Jennie Formby said: "If Imerys thought they could just make changes to the pension funds with no response from their workforce, they have another thing coming.

"We have started the process for a strike ballot. That's how fired up our people are to fight back."

Kate Lyne, senior human resources manager at Imerys said the union had so far had a show of hands at a public meeting and the process for balloting for strike action was quite formal.

But she added: "The effects of strike action on Imerys and the local economy will be devastating and that clearly needs to be got across to our employees."

Independent ballot

She said Imerys had always made it clear why the changes needed to be made.

"There is a funding deficit of �80m in the pension plan and we need to fill that gap to protect the pensions of those people in the plan - for our current workers, those people claiming pensions and for deferred members who have gone to work elsewhere," she said.

"The benefits people have earned up to January this year will be absolutely protected."

The vote has to be officially sanctioned by the T&G executive before a full postal ballot, which is run independently of the union, can go ahead.

If that happens, a result will be expected by mid-May at the latest.