TWO former Ravenhead Glass workers who lost their pension rights when the company closed down in March 2001 were given the chance to air their continuing concerns at a meeting with new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Alan Johnson.

St Helens North MP, Dave Watts, who arranged the London meeting, said he was keen to ensure that their cause was not overshadowed by the ongoing investigation into the financial management of the company.

The Secretary of State informed the two ex-Ravenhead representatives that he has released the initial details of who will be covered by the new assistance fund and it was hoped to start paying out some benefits within the next six months.

Dave Watts also met the chief executive of the Serious Fraud Office and was told that they are currently sifting through information from the Belgium Bank about the financial relationship between Ravenhead Glass and their Belgian parent company, Durobor. The fraud office is now seeking to interview a number of Belgian citizens in connection with the case.

Dave said he was well aware that many of the Ravenhead workers were disillusioned with the time it was taking to resolve the outstanding issues connected to the pension fund and closure of the company. He re-iterated his determination to secure a fair deal for the Ravenhead workers and their families and said he believed further details of the pension assistance scheme would be available by the end of March.