AFTER many years of hard graft, press operator Dave Waldron was looking forward to the luxury of early retirement.

He could not wait to spend more time with his family, especially his baby granddaughter.

But 55-year-old Dave, of Dovecote Road, thinks he will be working full time until he is at least 70. Like thousands of other former United Engineering Forgings (UEF) workers he lost every penny he had faithfully invested in the company pension scheme when the firm went bust two years ago.

"The Government actively encouraged us to pay in to the company pension scheme," said Dave, who joined UEF, when it was Garringtons in 1969. He had just got married and loved working as a press operator amongst people he described as being like an extended family. "I cycled to and from work every day, it was really convenient."

Every week, he paid into the company's pension scheme. At the end of his employment with UEF he was paying in almost £200 a month into the programme. He also paid into the additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) scheme, thinking it would mean a more comfortable retirement.

Dave even coughed up a lump sum of £6,000 to top up his pension only five weeks before the firm hit trouble.

When UEF was wound up all employees lost any money they had invested in the schemes offered by financial services group Prudential.

Since then many former employees have taken every opportunity to fight for their pension rights, including demonstrations outside Prudential in London.

About 80 per cent have also been forced to take other jobs, including Dave, who at first was a night baker at ASDA, working on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"I had to be trained up, it was a job I had no experience of before," said the father of two. But the twilight hours did not suit Dave and he was forced to look elsewhere.

"I had no social life. I really wanted to spend time with my baby granddaughter too."

He now works as a lathe operator at Slater Yendel in Redditch, which means he can no longer cycle to work.

"I will be working until I am at least seventy," he said. "My daughters are now of the age when they are thinking about their pensions and I just don't know how best to advise them.

He added: "You are probably best putting it under the floorboards. At least that way you get your money back."

Being able to enjoy quality time with her young daughter was, for Denise Danks, one of the bonuses of working at UEF.

The personal assistant, who had clocked up ten years with the firm, was particularly looking forward to taking on more flexible hours once her daughter started school.

"I wanted to be able to either drop her off or collect her from school," said the Abbey Close mum.

"But this didn't happen because the company went bust and I had to look elsewhere for work."

The 41-year-old now works as a buyer for a Redditch firm and the long hours take her away from her home life.

"When I worked for UEF I could walk to work, since I do not drive. Now I have to go to Redditch in the car with my husband, which means leaving early and not returning until late. It has completely turned my life around."

Pat Proudfoot, 55, has also had to adapt to a complete overhaul in his life. The Charford man was unemployed for six months before securing a job through an employment agency with Severn Trent Water. It has meant a dramatic cut in salary. "In the eighteen months I have been with Severn Trent Water I have had to learn new skills, adapt my working patterns, make new friends and start the process of building the trust and friendship I had so successfully established at Garringtons," said Pat, who devoted 34 years to UEF. However, despite finding some happiness since the plant's closure, Pat vows to fight on for the money, which is rightfully owed to him and thousands of others.