The campaign to ensure that former Allied Steel and Wire workers get 100% of their pension has been stepped up ahead of a lobby next week (Tuesday 12 January 2010) by campaigners outside the Senedd.
Almost 1,000 ASW workers lost their jobs and their pensions when the company was declared bankrupt in 2002.
In Wales and Westminster Plaid representatives are supporting the campaign by the ex-ASW steelworkers.
In support of the campaign, Plaid Cymru Hywel Williams MP has tabled an Early Day Motion alongside fellow Plaid Cymru MPs, Elfyn Llwyd and Adam Price.
Mr Williams said:
“Former ASW workers are quite rightly angry and let down by the broken Westminster system. The campaigners deserve better from Gordon Brown’s government. The big London parties have once again put bankers and big business ahead of pensioners, despite the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman recommending that they should be paid their pensions in full. Like other pension scandals, this is an issue which has dragged on far too long and the former ASW workers should be awarded their pensions in full.”
South Wales Central AM Leanne Wood, who recently met with campaigners, commented:
“Initially, even though former the ASW workers campaign resulted in the Pension Protection Fund they still haven’t got justice in their own cases. They have fought this campaign since 2002 and they have been told recently that they won’t get 100% of their pension now because there is no money in the public purse following the banking crisis. Plaid will continue to do all that we can to ensure that these workers get the justice they deserve. We will continue to exert maximum pressure on the government in London. Although here in Wales we haven’t powers over pensions the wellbeing of the former ASW workers is a matter of concern for the Welsh government and so the strongest representations should be made on the workers’ behalf.”
