EMPLOYEES of BAE Systems have vowed to continue fighting a decision to sell off Aerostructures.

BAE Systems announced last year that it planned to sell the branch of the company which makes components for the Airbus passenger jet.

But the engineering union believes the sell-off could result in a number of job losses.

Management and unions are also holding a series of meetings in a bid to avert strike action over the company's £2billion pension crisis.

Shortdalls prompted BAE to try and increase contributions from workers by an additional two per cent, reduce the level of benefits and bar new workers from its final salary pensions scheme. Almost 300 workers from the Aerostructures base in Prestwick, Scotland, and the Samlesbury site gathered at Stirling Square in Westminster to lobby chief executive Mike Turner and the management board.

Neil Sheehan, union convenor, said: "The response was the usual, that they intend on carrying on with the sale but we don't accept that decision.

"Mike Turner came out to talk and he faced a hostile workforce.

"He tried to reason with them but neither the Scottish nor English workers accepted what he was saying.'