A TRADE union official claims he was left in the dark about negotiations on pay and conditions.

Shop steward Trevor Wilson says the first he knew about a pay and conditions offer from his employers Remploy was when he read about it at the weekend in the BEN.

But Ray Fletcher, Remploy's personnel director, said the offer had been agreed with representatives of the several trade unions, including KFAT, last Monday. At no time had management gone to the press without consulting union bosses.

"It has now been agreed that this offer should be put out to ballot with the recommendation to accept it," he said.

As reported in Saturday's paper, Remploy - with bases in Manchester Road, Bolton, and Eton Hill, Radcliffe - has offered to reduce the working week of its 6,000 disabled employees by one hour without loss of pay as part of what the company described as "a substantial package of improvements on pay and conditions".

But Mr Wilson, 39, who represents 50 members of the Knitwear Footwear and Apparel Trades Union (KFAT), says that the unions are still in negotiation with management about a new deal. He said that the unions have been in talks with management since last October last. An initial offer of 3pc was rejected and twice negotiations have gone through the mediation group ACAS.

Mr Wilson says he is furious that he is unable to answer his members' questions about the offer after they learned of it through a press release sent to the BEN from Remploy's head office in London.

"I was led to believe that I would be sent details of the latest offer and then members would be balloted on it this week. But I've received absolutely no details," he said.

Mr Wilson has worked for Remploy for the past 20 years and has been shop steward for the past 12 months.

"It's really embarrassing because I only know as much as I read in the BEN. I can't tell the workers any more. They know as much as I do."

Under the most recent offer, Remploy factory-based workers, like those in Bolton, would be required to work only 36 hours a week, opening up the opportunity to work a four day week.

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