THOUSANDS of retired miners are to get an increase of almost nine per cent in their pensions.

The move, by the Mineworkers' pension Scheme, was welcomed last night by a North-East campaigner who has been pressing for bigger pay-outs.

David Murray, of Coxhoe, has been a long-standing critic of the deal under which the Government agreed in 1994 to guarantee payments to ex-miners in return for a half share in the surpluses.

The scheme has performed so well it has a £1bn surplus and Mr Murray, along with national campaigners, has called for members and their families to get bigger pensions.

"It is welcome but it should have been done years ago,'' he said. "If a miner dies his wife gets two-thirds of his pension but when she dies the rest of the family gets nothing. The sons and daughters should get something, even if it's only £100."

Mr Murray welcomed talks being held to look at ways of improving the pensions of miners, some of whom only get £5 or £10 a week, who joined the scheme before it was upgraded.

Norman Braithwaite, chairman of the scheme's trustee board, said: "Members already receive an inflation-linked pension so this latest increase represents a genuine increase on top of inflation.

"About 390,000 people, of whom some 240,000 have already started to draw their pensions, will benefit from these increases.

"We are discussing further proposals with the Government.

"The main element of this package is to address the smaller pensions paid to people who worked in the coal industry before 1975 when the scheme was upgraded.

"The trustees have also asked the Government to consider extending their pensions guarantee to bonuses awarded after the privatisation of British Coal in 1994.