Workers at a tractor factory yesterday agreed to ballot for industrial action over the decision to shut the plant with the loss of 900 jobs.

US firm Agco announced on Tuesday that the former Massey Ferguson site, in Coventry, would close in June next year and operations switched to Europe.

Bosses said the factory could not compete with cheaper imports from Europe and blamed the Government's failure to join the euro.

Yesterday, workers represented by the Amicus and the Transport and General Workers unions voted to hold a strike ballot.

Amicus national officer Danny Carrigan said the workforce was determined to oppose the closure.

He said: "We hope that we do not have to resort to strike action, but we were left with little choice.

"The members believe the closure is premature and we want to see the senior management of Agco here to justify their decision.''

The ballot will take place in the next few weeks.

Agco, which is the world's third largest manufacturer of farm machinery with sales of £1.7bn last year, said the closure was part of a "major manufacturing rationalisation plan" in Europe.

Over the past two years, five factories in the US and three in South America have closed.