A FIRM providing work for disabled people has received 36 applications for voluntary redundancy from staff at its factories in Yorkshire.

Remploy is seeking voluntary redundancies at its 57 sites across the UK in a bid to cut costs and improve efficiency.

Just two employees out of a total workforce of 36 at Remploy’s Waterloo factory have applied for voluntary redundancy. The plant cuts, sews and assembles interior trim for cars.

Remploy has four factories in Yorkshire. Eight staff among the 67-strong workforce at its Leeds plant have applied for voluntary redundancy, along with seven out of 37 at its Pontefract site and 19 out of 120 at Sheffield.

Nationally, 770 employees out of 3,370 who are eligible have applied for redundancy.

Applications for voluntary redundancy closed on Monday. The company has pledged that no plants will close as a result of the redundancy programme.

A company spokesman said: “Remploy will now consider carefully every application for voluntary redundancy and we hope to be able to inform employees whether their application has been successful within the next six weeks.

“Some applications may not be accepted if employees have specific skills which are essential to the operation of our businesses.

“Consultations on the programme will continue with the trade unions until the beginning of May. We will also engage in individual consultations with employees who have applied for redundancy.”

The company has not put a figure on the number of jobs it wants to cut.