A BOSS at a factory network which employs more than 150 people in East Lancashire has met with local workers.

Len Boulton, operations director of Remploy, visited the Blackburn factory to explain plans to close nine factories and cut 2,100 jobs.

Union leaders in East Lancashire, who represent workers at the group's Blackburn and Burnley factories, have expressed serious concerns over the job losses.

But the Government-backed firm, which employs 6,500 disabled people, has said that there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of the closures which will not affect the East Lancashire sites.

Mr Boulton spoke to workers in Bank Top, Blackburn about the firm's plans and the reasons for the closures.

He pointed out that the Government's grant to Remploy of £94million had been frozen for five years which had effectively cut its budget by ten per cent.

"We must face the world as it is, both as a business when we must respond to the current areas of demand with our products and services and as the main employer of disabled people in the UK," said Mr Boulton.

He said the firm was investing in growth areas of the business but that it had to withdraw from unprofitable areas.

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