Unions force Imerys to consult over pensions

Clay and mineral producer Imerys has finally agreed to consult trade unions over its controversial pension changes, implemented in January.

The company intends to close its final salary scheme to new members, and to cut the benefits paid to its 2,500 existing employees by reducing their pension accrual rate from 1/60 to 1/80. This, according to the T&G general union, would cause benefits to be slashed by up to a third.

The agreement on consultation - which, the T&G says, covers "all future and retrospective pension proposals" - has come in the wake of a long-running union campaign and a ballot for industrial action. The campaign saw the T&G, along with the unions Amicus and the GMB, teaming up with US trade union USW and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions to lobby shareholders in Paris over Imerys's labour relations record.

T&G national secretary Jennie Formby said the union was now looking forward to a more harmonious period of industrial relations at the company.