The government has confirmed that Remploy, the company providing employment for disabled people, will close 27 of its 54 factories, putting 1,421 jobs at risk. The closures, announced by Minister for Disabled People Maria Miller, are set to take place between August and mid-December.
Miller told MPs that the £320 million budget for disabled employment services could be spent more effectively. The factories lost £68.3 million last year, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. The government has set aside £8 million to support workers made redundant.
Nine other factories have received bids from potential buyers. Workers at Remploy's factories voted in May to strike in protest at the planned closures. Phil Davies of the GMB union said the closures would condemn disabled workers to unemployment and poverty, and confirmed strikes would go ahead on July 19 and 26.
Remploy factories were established in 1945 to provide employment for disabled people, with enterprises ranging from furniture and packaging manufacturing to recycling electrical appliances. The closures follow an independent review recommending that funding be diverted to support individuals rather than subsidising factories.
