TATA Steel employees marched through Newport on Saturday to voice their anger at changes to the pension scheme.

More than 100 steelworkers from Llanwern, Orb and Port Talbot steelworks took part in the march through the city centre.Tata Steel has come under fire over changes it wants to make to its pensions scheme which could see employees retiring at 65 instead of 60.

It wants to scrap the final salary agreement for existing members and end provisions letting people retire early at 60. Bosses say this is necessary to prevent a projected shortfall of £2 billion in the scheme.

Andrew Gutteridge, 44, chairman of the Multi Union at Llanwern works, said: "We want to have a discussion and get back round the table. They won't even negotiate.

"Ninety eight per cent of our members have voted to take action as a collective that sends a strong message to the company."

He added: "I'm a third generation of steelworkers. I put my military pension into my steelworker pension and now I can't get to that. A lot of members are ex-miners who have put their pensions into the scheme - it's a nightmare to be honest."

Members from the Newport steelworks will be stopping overtime from Tuesday, with the first national strike action for steelworkers in 35 years set to take place on June 22 for 25 hours.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, MP for Torfaen was among those in attendance. He said: "My father spent his entire working life at Llanwern Steelworks and many of my constituents work at Tata so I am proud to be marching in solidarity with the Tata steelworkers in Newport today.

“We are on the brink of the first national steel strike since 1980. As I said to Tata representatives, including CEO and Managing Director Karl-Ulrich Kohler, in Parliament on Wednesday, at the All-Party Steel Group, I urge Tata to get back around the table, to engage in meaningful negotiations and to work towards a resolution which all parties can be happy with."

Ieuan Jenkins, 50, is a second generation steelworker at Llanwern, he said: "I can’t see us being able to do what we do day to day in five years time let alone 15 years time. It’s the physicality of the job.”

Jessica Morden MP for Newport East said it was ‘disgraceful’ that Tata Steel is proposing changes to the pension scheme.

She said the All Party Parliamentary Steel Group now has 25 MPs from eight and will continue to support workers.