More than 200 workers at Prysmian Cables, formerly Pirelli, on Wrexham Industrial Estate, have voted to strike or to take action short of a strike after the firm announced plans to stop the final salary pension scheme.

Workers' union Unite has been in consultation with the company since it announced the plans last October.

However the situation came to a head during a ballot on Tuesday after months of wrangling between the company and union representatives.

More than 70 per cent of workers at the plant voted to take strike action against the decision to transfer workers from the final salary scheme to a less secure defined contributions scheme from August 1.

The Prysmian Pension Scheme consists of a defined benefit section and a defined contribution section and was set up in July 2005 when the company was established.

Final salary pensions were closed to new members at the factory in 1998.

Workers on the current scheme will be moved to a less generous defined contributions scheme, however, the difference between the two schemes, workers say, is significant.

The defined benefit section, or the final salary scheme, guarantees a percentage of workers' salary for the number of years in the scheme however a defined contributions scheme would mean that workers would invest monthly wages into shares which they can cash in on retirement.

Graham Rogers, regional officer for Unite, said the issue was a national one and the action taken at the Wrexham plant would be determined after meetings with national officers.

He added that union had 28 days to carry out any action whether it be an overtime ban or a continuous strike from the time they inform the company of the ballot results.

Workers who contacted the Evening Leader are furious that, despite huge profits when the company floated the division a couple of years ago, they claimed the pension fund was operating a £2.2 million deficit in December 2006.

Goldman Sachs Capital Partners acquired Pirelli's cable division in 2005 when it became Prysmian Cables. The company's private equity arm floated the division a couple of years ago and the Wrexham site has received considerable investment.

One worker, who has been at the firm for nearly 38 years, is so disgusted he has handed in his resignation.

Ian Carson of Coedpoeth said: "I have been forced to leave because of the proposed changes to the pension scheme.

"I am disappointed. I have worked there for 38 years. I have never had a day off sick in 25 years and have given my all to a company that ends things by taking your final salary pension off you.

Mr Carson added that while he would be ending his employment with the company he was not walking away without a fight.