UNION bosses say they have not yet decided whether to oppose the closure of Westhoughton textile firm Ames Europe Ltd.
The Dutch-owned firm is planning to shut the manufacturing site on Church Street with the loss of up to 44 jobs.
It is the last textile company in the town and its closure is being blamed on "difficult trading conditions."
Alan Edmond, northern district secretary of KFAT, the Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades, said that a formal 30-day consultation process would begin with managers on November 8.
"It has to be meaningful," he said.
Ames' Westhoughton firm is its only factory in Britain although it has other premises in Holland and France which are unaffected by the job losses.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article