Unilever workers vote for pension strikes

Workers at Unilever, which manufactures products such as Marmite and Persil, have voted in favour of strike action over changes to their pensions.

Unilever intends to close the company's final salary scheme and move all 5,000 members across to a career-average arrangement, the Telegraph reports.

However, 85% of Unite members and 75% of GMB members working for Unilever voted for industrial action against the move.

If the strike goes ahead, it will be the first time a FTSE 100 company's staff has walked out over pensions, and the biggest strike Unilever has ever faced down.

The company closed its final salary pension to new members in 2009, putting Unilever's remaining 2,000 workers in a less generous scheme.

It claimed it must close the final salary scheme to keep the company competitive.

Alan Black, national officer at the GMB, said: "Ordinary workers will not stand idly by to watch profitable employers like Unilever jumping on the pensions robbery bandwagon."

The strikes, which will take place in 12 factories across the country, will come after a national day of action by public sector workers tomorrow.

On 30 November, up to two million public sector employees will stage a walk-out in opposition to the government's proposed reforms to their pensions.

The reforms include higher employee contributions, lower payouts and later retirement dates.