STEELMAKER Corus is considering other options to closing its pension scheme to new employees, after widespread opposition from within its workforce, The Northern Echo learnt yesterday.

Corus faced widespread fury from its workforce nationally after unveiling proposals to close its pension scheme to new starters, which it originally hoped to introduce from the middle of last month.

Unions, including those representing the 5,000 Corus workers in the North-East, threatened industrial action over the issue, and pledged to oppose the changes with “everything we possibly can”.

After two meetings in London with unions last week over the issue, Corus said it would delay any changes to the scheme until the end of the month at the earliest.

And yesterday, it was revealed that the steelmaker is looking at alternative options to the one it was originally proposing.

Workers have expressed fears that the closure of the pension scheme to new starters could lead to the closure of the scheme to all Corus employees, and the development came as a further blow to the firm’s North-East workers.

About 3,000 Corus employees at Teesside Cast Products (TCP), in Redcar, continue to face an uncertain future beyond next month, and about 400 further staff face redundancy from four other Corus plants in the Tees Valley.

Jimmy Skivington, regional organiser for the GMB, who attended last week’s meetings, said the unions’ stance remains unchanged.

“We are still in negotiations with the company, and we are still quite clearly stating our position, that we will not accept the pension scheme being closed to new members,” he said.

“The company is looking at alternatives to the closure of the scheme, and a Corus pension expert, alongside a union pension expert, are looking at costings for possible other options. We hope that is a positive development, but we will wait to find out more about the conclusions that draws, and then we will negotiate further.”

Another meeting is scheduled for Friday between Corus and unions, who have continually expressed their fury over the issue.

The Community Union, which has the biggest presence at the TCP plant, walked out of talks with Corus earlier in the year, accusing the company of acting in a way which put Corus and its workers on a “collision course”.

Support was also given to Corus workers and unions by the TUC, which represents six million workers nationally.