Tractor workers fight pension ruling

The Coventry plant was once the largest tractor factory in the world

Workers at the former Coventry tractor giant Massey Ferguson are to appeal to the House of Lords over a court ruling to cut their pensions.

Almost 1,000 people were affected by a decision that the tractor manufacturer could offer reduced payments to employees as if they'd retired early - even though the factory was shut down by its American owners.

The Court of Appeal had previously ruled that the firm's parent company Agco could reduce the pensions of workers.

That ruling overturned a High Court decision in December last year which said the workers should get a full pension because they were effectively being made redundant.

Agco were given the go ahead to cut the value of a worker's pension by 6% for every year they retire early by.

In practice, it could mean someone who was 55 when they were made redundant could see the value of their pension cut by up to 60%.

The Coventry plant, which had produced tractors for more than 60 years, finally closed last month.

Agco announced the closure last June when it said it would concentrate tractor production on its other sites in France and Brazil which have lower production costs.