Chris Herdman BBC Wales News Online

Former steelworkers at the Allied Steel and Wire Plant in Cardiff are spending Christmas with their lives "on hold", not knowing whether they will get their jobs back.

The 800-strong workforce has been told that Spanish firm Celsa has bought the troubled company and that steelworking will resume in Cardiff next year.

Denis and Lesley Kelleher face an uncertain Christmas

But the staff will not know whether they will be among the 600 expected to be re-employed at the Tremorfa plant until January, when the proposed deal is finalised.

Workers received a double blow in July when ASW announced it was closing its adjoining Cardiff sites.

Shortly afterwards, the staff found out they would receive only a small percentage of their company final salary pension scheme due to a shortfall in the fund.

Early retirement

Ex-steelworker Denis Kelleher, 54, of Cardiff, was planning to take early retirement from ASW to spend more time with his family after 25 years at the plant.

However, following the loss of his pension, the father-of-four will spend Christmas waiting to see if he can return to the plant.

He said: "Everyone's life is on hold until January.

ASW timeline

July: ASW stops production in Cardiff Sept: Workers march through Cardiff Oct: Workers picket the Labour Party conference Nov: Celsa announced as ASW's buyer Nov: ASW workers featured in BBC's Panorama

"I may not return to the steelworks, but I can't look at other possibilities until I have closure on the ASW situation.

"I'm going to enjoy Christmas with my children and grandchildren and think about the future later.

"I want to go back to ASW, but even if we get our jobs back, there is no guarantee it is going to be for the same pay.

'Minimum wage'

"There are former colleagues who have gone from a good wage at ASW to working for the minimum wage elsewhere.

"I was looking to retire early so I could spend time with my son, who has learning difficulties.

"The loss of my pension means our plans have changed.

"People's plans usually change due to things like ill health, but our problems are entirely man-made."

Mr Kelleher's wife, social worker Lesley, 53, added: "Denis was told that he was losing his job on his birthday, 10 July.

"We knew there were problems with the works, but we never dreamed that Denis would lose his pension.

I'm going to enjoy Christmas with my children and grandchildren and think about the future later Denis Kelleher

"I never thought that I would be the main breadwinner in the family or that we would not have Denis's pension.

"We had planned that Denis would retire and maybe get a part-time job.

"After putting two of our daughters through university, this was going to be our time.

"Now all our plans have changed - it looks as if I'll be working until I'm 65.

"We would have been better-off if we'd kept the money Denis contributed to the ASW pension in a sock under the bed.

"It has eroded our trust in the system."

Alternative work

Fellow ex-ASW worker Richard Nagle, of Cardiff, is spending Christmas looking for alternative work after losing his job and pension.

Electrician Mr Nagle, who has children aged nine and 11, said: "I had been at ASW since 1975, but I was one of the lucky ones in that I have transferable skills.

"I feel sorry for the people who were hanging on for their pension and lost everything and also for the people who have only known steelworking.

"I am doing college courses and looking for other work, but many people have nothing to show for 25 or 30 years in heavy industry.

"I am trying to keep Christmas as normal as possible for my family before looking at the ASW situation in January."