MORE than 100 disabled workers at two Gwent factories could lose their jobs following a review of working practices.

Remploy Ltd employ 66 disabled workers at their Croespenmaen factory and 64 at their Abertillery plant.

The company, a non-departmental public body, gets a £111 million grant from the government each year to help disabled people find employment.

But now they are reviewing their working practices to find out how best to use the money.

Union officials say this could mean closing or downsizing any of their 87 factories throughout the UK, 11 of them in Wales, and instead moving the workers into mainstream employment.

"Many of the employees have learning difficulties and cannot communicate well with people," said Ian Lloyd GMB representative for Remploy Croespenmaen. "They simply would not cope with working in mainstream jobs.

"Here they are all in the same boat."

Mr Lloyd is concerned that the jobs in mainstream employment would not provide the same job satisfaction they get at Remploy.

"Here we have skilled jobs," he explained. "A lot of these jobs that are offered in mainstream employment to disabled people are stacking shelves and pushing trolleys."

Minister for the Disabled, Anne McGuire, visited the Croespenmaen Remploy factory yesterday with Islwyn MP Don Touhig to discuss the concerns of the workforce.

She said no plans on the future of the two Gwent factories had been drawn up.

"The government are committed to a future for Remploy," said Mrs McGuire.

"We have just pledged £555 million to the company over the next five years and want to see more disabled people in employment."

The minister also wanted to play down fears of job loses.

"The modernisation process of Remploy is going on between the company and trade unions," she said.

"No disabled people will be made compulsorily redundant and talks are very much in the early stages."

Tony Pleasance, 61 from Usk, has worked for Remploy for 20 years and says it would be the end for him if he lost his job.

"At my age, no-one would want to employ me. The jobs here mean everything to the workers, it's their life."

A spokesman for Remploy said: "Last year, Remploy Interwork, our specialist recruitment service for people with a health condition or disability, helped more than 4,300 into jobs with outside employers.

"We need to re-balance our company so that we can make the best use of the grant we get from the Government."