The retirement plans of 4,000 Michelin employees in the UK – including workers at the Stoke-on-Trent, Dundee and Ballymena plants and ATS employees – have been affected by the company’s planned closure of its final-salary pension scheme to existing members and decision to transfer staff onto a money-purchase plan. The company said this decision was made in the face of a continued deficit of more than £250 million, despite the fund receiving a £100 million top-up in recent years. In 2002 the company’s UK pension deficit sat at only £57 million.

The proposed changes would see members of its pension scheme cease building up any further benefits from January 1, 2009. Accrued pension benefits will be preserved and will remain linked to the employee’s final salary at retirement. Michelin stated that it plans to pay off the deficit in its final salary scheme over the next decade.