WORKERS at a Blackburn engineering company claim they have been forced to do unpaid overtime or face three of their colleagues being made redundant.

They say they were given the ultimatum by family-owned pattern makers S. Bateman & Sons who are based at Hart Street.

"They have threatened to make three redundancies if the rest of the lads don't work 15 hours overtime for nothing," said one of the workers, who did not want to be named. "They are just exploiting us because we the workforce is too small to be in a union."

Mr David Bateman, one of the managers of the business, confirmed the employees had been asked to do unpaid overtime, but disputed the hours involved.

"We are working for a company which has asked us to work for nothing to make right something that had gone wrong," he said. "We have asked them to work 10 hours each without pay."

Mr Bateman refused to comment on the claim that three workers would be made redundant if the unpaid overtime was not carried out. "I am not going to get involved," he added. " I am not saying any more."

The Bateson employees now plan to speak to the engineering union AEEWU. " I can't believe companies can behave like this in the 21st Century, " said one of the workers.

"It can't be right for people to have to work for nothing."

Blackburn MP Jack Straw said: "I am happy to talk to the company if the union wants me to."