Mirror group shuts pension scheme

Newspaper group Trinity Mirror has announced the closure of its final salary pension scheme to all members.

The group, which owns five national newspapers, more than 120 regional titles and over 400 digital products, informed staff by e-mail on Friday.

It said the scheme's deficit had risen from £37m in 2001 to £275m last June.

The National Union of Journalists condemned "the latest in a long line of attacks on staff", raising doubts about the capability of the group's bosses.

Members of the group's scheme will now have to switch their pensions to other products.

"The Group is... proposing to close the defined benefit pension schemes to future pension build-up," said the e-mail to staff shortly before 1700 GMT on Friday.

"Current contributing members would no longer build up future benefits in their defined benefit scheme."

Paul Holleran, NUJ Scottish secretary, said: "The scrapping of the final salary scheme is the latest in a long line of attacks on staff at Trinity Mirror and serious questions need to be asked and answered about the capability of the senior Trinity directors."

Trinity Mirror, publisher of titles including the Daily Mirror, People and Daily Record, closed its final salary scheme to new members in 2002.

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