FORMER employees at the failed United Engineering Forgings (UEF) firm are today (Wednesday) in London fighting for their pension rights.

Bromsgrove workers will join colleagues from the company's sites across Britain to lobby outside financial services group Prudential whose investment arm was majority shareholder when UEF went bust.

The value of redundant workers' pensions now depends on cash from site sales but campaigners claim a £12m shortfall in the fund was discovered by administrators and they could receive just half of their anticipated entitlement.

Ex-employees hope the demonstration outside Prudential's London HQ will help win the maximum value for their pension rights.

Administrators KPMG are now winding up the financial arrangements for the factory, formerly known as Garringtons, which closed in March 2002.

Five hundred workers were made redundant from the Newton Road site including Ben Perry, of Woodrow Lane, Catshill, who was a stamper for 37 years.

The 60-year-old is the Amicus Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU) branch secretary.

He said: "People have faithfully paid into the scheme and we want it topped up to ensure they get back what they deserve.

"When the firm went into administration the scheme was wound up but our lives weren't."

Bromsgrove's MP Julie Kirkbride has backed workers who picket regularly at Westminster and outside the Prudential.

A Prudential spokesman said confidential discussions with UEF and MPs are on going and the company is fully aware of its legal and moral obligations.

The firm's investment sector was part of a consortium, which bought out UEF in 1997.