UNION leaders representing workers at two East Lancashire factories have welcomed a jobs pledge by bosses.
Remploy, which employs more than 300 at its Blackburn and Burnley sites, had been planning to close a number of its factories around the country. The firm, Britain's biggest employer of disabled people, has now said the nine plants earmarked for closure would stay open.
"This is fantastic news for the factories that will now stay open," said Phil Davies, national officer at the GMB. "We consider this a major breakthrough. Both the company and the Government now recognise the importance of factory employment for disabled people."
Unions and the company are due to meet this week to reach a formal agreement on the future strategy for the company.
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