WORK and pensions minister Peter Hain threw disabled workers at Poole's Remploy factory a lifeline yesterday.

He told the Labour Party Conference that government was working to land more public procurement contracts and promised none of the UK's 42 threatened factories would close without ministerial say so.

The announcement averted a potentially explosive showdown with unions, who have supported more than 2,000 disabled Remploy workers across the country.

But the minister stopped short of a complete U-turn on modernisation plans.

He said: "Both unions and management agree that Remploy must change to have a sustainable future.

"We have a duty to help disabled people into work, while continuing to help those for whom supported employment remains the best option."

He described more public procurement contracts as "crucial" and pledged a half billion pound subsidy to Remploy over the next five years.

Earlier GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: "They (Remploy workers) don't want a pat on the head, they demand the right to work and be treated with the same respect as any other worker."

He added: "Lets consign to the dustbin the myth that Remploy manufacturing supported jobs are somehow second class, somehow less fulfilling than other forms of employment.

"Remploy manufacturing workers produce goods and services from chemical warfare protection suits to t-shirts for the famous Glastonbury Festival."

Remploy staff and members of the GMB spent four weeks on a crusade visiting all the threatened factories and on Sunday they marched on conference.

Union bosses feared Remploy management, who up until yesterday had the power to shut factories, were determined to implement closures under cost-cutting measures.

Lorraine Sheen - who works at the Remploy factory at Alder Hills, Poole - said: "We've still got a fight on our hands. It's not as bad as it was, but we've still got work to do."

The Alder Hills factory, that makes lifejackets for the MOD, employs 47 people, including 42 of whom have disabilities.