Workers strike over site closures

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 13th Feb 2008

Workers at two Remploy factories on Merseyside are staging another two-day strike in protest at closure plans.

Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain announced in the Commons last year that the St Helens and Aintree sites were two of 28 to close across the country.

Remploy is the UK's biggest employer of disabled people. Union Unite says the scheme of cuts and mergers will mean over 2000 job losses. Unions say those made redundant are unlikely to be able to find work again.

There are also plans to merge the Birkenhead and Wallasey plants with 11 others factories. Union members at plants in Aintree and Birkenhead will stage industrial action from Wednesday.

Tony Burke, Unite Assistant General Secretary, said: "Our members are furious at Remploy management and the former Secretary of State Peter Hain, who should be ashamed to approve this closure plan. This would destroy a first class company that was setup by Labour to provide work for disabled ex-servicemen." He added: "Trade unions will continue to exhaust every possible avenue and everything in their power to secure the future of the Remploy network."

Remploy has over 5,000 disabled workers in 82 factories nationally.