SOME bus workers fear they could be lumbered with inferior' pensions when their company passes into private ownership, according to union leaders.

The sale of Blackburn Transport to Yorkshire-based Blazefield, an arm of French operator Transdev, is expected to be completed on January 21.

The TGWU which represents workers at the company, currently owned by Blackburn with Darwen Council, said 16 workers would lose their superior pensions.

Council bosses said they have already delayed the deal in an attempt to resolve the situation but said it has been advised this was not possible, The 16 workers are in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), which is a final salary scheme. And the union said Blazefield should have been able to apply for admitted body status' to keep the staff in the scheme.

But secretary, Jim Casey, said the council had left it too long to find out that Blazefield could apply for the status.

About 130 people work for the company. The majority are in a scheme very similar to Blazefield's own, which is not a final salary scheme.

The workers in the Local Government Pension Scheme have been in it for more than 20 years each. It is a historical throw back to when bus companies were run by councils prior to de-regulation in the 1980s.

Mr Casey said: "We feel bitterly let down by the council. If they had looked at this earlier in the process it could have been sorted out."

He said the workers would no longer be eligible for the 85-year rule to retirement, where a worker can retire if the combination of their years of service plus their age adds up to 85.

"The 16 members have between 20 and 30 years service each, but the council doesn't care about them.

"It's about getting the deal done and dusted," he added.

He said he blamed the council and not Blazefield who he said had been very accommodating.

Alan Cotton, strategic director for resources at the council said: "The council has done all that it can to work with the scheme administrators to see if these employees can remain on the scheme, but based on advice from the actuaries it has not been possible to keep them on the scheme."

Executive Member Coun Andy Kay added: "We have delayed the sale while we tried to sort it out."

A spokesman for Blazefield said: "We are aware of the concerns and negotiations are still ongoing, our priority is to resolve it as soon as possible."