THE Scottish Labour Party has accused the UK Government of treating disabled workers with contempt over its decision to close 27 Remploy factories.

The party's Shadow Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire, claimed the Government had made a "heartless decision" to close the sites with the loss of 1400 jobs.

Her comments came as Remploy workers at the firm's 54 factories went on strike in protest at the closures, which include a factory in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.

Mrs McGuire, MP for Stirling, said: "When around one in seven people in Scotland are chasing every vacancy, then it is clearly the worst possible time for the Government to make this heartless decision."