WORKERS at Unilever in Warrington have voted to strike in protest at plans to close their final salary pension scheme.

The GMB union said its members based at the firm's sites in Liverpool Road backed industrial action by thee to one.

The GMB said the pension change affected 5,000 Unilever staff across the country, adding it will now consult with other trade unions to fix dates for strike action, with the first walkout due before Christmas.

National officer Allan Black said: "This strike vote demonstrates that pensions are not just a matter of concern for public sector workers as the concerns are shared by workers in the private sector too.”

Unite said its members at Unilever had backed strikes by more than eight to one, warning that walkouts were now likely.