Unions raise pressure over Remploy

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Prime minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown faced tough questions on the future of the Remploy factories when he addressed delegates at the annual conference of the GMB union in Brighton.

He said the Government was waiting to receive final proposals from Remploy, which wants to place more disabled workers in mainstream employment.

Mr Brown gave a pledge of a guaranteed job to Remploy workers although he warned he could not predict that all the factories will remain open.

Remploy is being given £555 million over the next five years, but this could be increased if necessary, said Mr Brown.

Meanwhile, leaders of another union, Unite, said the closures would amount to "industrial sabotage" and said in a statement: "As the affected factories are primarily in areas of high unemployment, we call upon the whole of the trade union movement to support the fight to secure these jobs and prevent devastation in some of our poorest communities.

"The sheer scale of the closures and the impact it will have on disabled workers is both shocking and unprecedented.

"The trade unions representing members at Remploy will now seek authority for an official national strike ballot in all 83 Remploy sites."