WORKERS at two Gwent factories fear bosses are planning to close the sites by "the back door" by offering generous voluntary redundancy packages to over 100 staff.

People working at two Remploy factories in Croespenmaen and Cwmtillery were offered the chance to accept voluntary redundancy which would come into effect in less than two months.

Last year Cwmtillery was earmarked for closure along with 43 factories across the UK - six in Wales.

But the factory's 60-strong workforce was granted a reprieve when Remploy back-tracked and saved 15 of the threatened sites following government pressure.

Now workers with between one and 12 year's service are being offered the chance to walk away with a year's salary plus £5,000 - a total of about £17,000.

Others will receive three weeks pay per year of service plus £5,000.

The offer was made this week and according to workers is being described as a "one-off" by bosses.

Employees have until January 31 to apply.

It follows an earlier offer made in November for three weeks pay for every year of service, plus £5,000 for all workers.

Remploy insists "key workers" will not be accepted so sites do not lose essential skills, and says both sites have a future.

Father-of-four Ian Lloyd, from Fleur-de-Lys, has worked at the Croespenmaen site for 28 years and is branch secretary for the GMB Union.

He said workers were "deeply worried" about the future of the factory, which produces packaging products.

"We are working hard to win new orders but if the workforce is reduced how are we going to meet them?" he said.

Already 13 workers out of a workforce of 63 have applied for redundancy according to Mr Lloyd, who is registered blind.

In the Cwmtillery plant 34 have applied.

Fellow worker Graham Morris, 42, said workers feared it was "closure by the backdoor".

The father of one suffers from arthritis and epilepsy and has worked at Remploy for 24 years.

"We're concerned this is going to empty the factories," he said.

There are also fears that workers accepting the pay-off will be unable to find new employment.

Mother-of-two Mandy Webb, who is a union rep and worker in the Cwmtillery plant said:"I don't blame people going for it but it makes you worry about everybody else's future," she said.

A spokeswoman for Remploy said the redundancies were part of an ongoing process.

"We will only be accepting a certain number of redundancies - obviously we cannot leave the sites in a situation where there is not enough staff to run them," she said.