UNION negotiators meet company bosses today to start the battle to save 200 jobs at the Ebbw Vale works of Wyvern Furniture.

Last Thursday nearly 200 workers at the Rassau industrial estate factory were told the factory faced closure because of a downturn in upholstery sales.

But negotiator Rick Carnaby, regional organiser of workers' union GMB, told the Argus the plant still has orders on its books and should be kept open.

He said: "Firstly, we don't want a closure. If that's inevitable we want to see a relocation of the workers and business, and failing that we want any redundancy agreement to include the statutory amount and an extra 100 per cent payment."

He said parent company Christie Tyler wants to close both the Ebbw Vale factory and a business in Cardiff trading as Carousel Furniture that employs 180.

He added: "There's a shortage of orders for the Cardiff plant. "But at Ebbw Vale they've got orders that they aren't able to turn out quick enough. "It's really sad. We are asking for more time for the factories to prove themselves. "Christie Tyler want to transfer the work up to the Midlands and downsize.

"Workers are very worried. That's why we want to deal with it quickly. People need to know what's happening with their jobs."

Last week Bridgend-based Christie Tyler blamed the decision to consider closing the two plants on a market downturn and cheap imports.

Mr Carnaby added: "A lot of it is down to the fad for leather furniture, which goes with the fashion for laminate flooring. There's less demand for upholstered furniture."

A 90-day consultation period started after the announcement was made, to try to minimise losses and effect a rescue plan.

A spokesman for Wyvern Furniture, which also has a factory in Kidderminster, said the company had not started discussing the proposals with union chiefs, and would not make a comment until a decision had been reached.

Blaenau Gwent council leader John Hopkins said: "Closure would be a tremendous blow to the community. Some of the employees are young people with families and they don't have the same opportunities as can be found on the M4 corridor."

He said the council has a number of training and employment schemes and would try to reduce the impact of any lay-offs.