SHOUTS of "Judas" greeted a Government minister as disabled workers from a York factory whose fate was sealed by her department let her know what they think about their jobs being axed.

A 25-strong group of employees from the city's Remploy plant travelled to Bradford yesterday to accuse the Minister For Disabled People, Anne McGuire, of betraying them after it was placed on a hit-list of sites marked for closure.

The Redeness Street factory, which helps disabled people find work in a sheltered environment, is among 28 plants set to shut by the end of March after the Department Of Work And Pensions decided they no longer offered value for money.

But the 51 York workers have vowed not to see their factory go without a fight and, together with hundreds of other Remploy protesters from across the United Kingdom, they homed in on Bradford City FC's Valley Parade ground to harangue Mrs McGuire as she spoke at the Employers' Forum On Disability.

John Wilson, the GMB union's assistant shop steward at York, said: "Anne McGuire does not seem to believe in disabled people working in a sheltered environment, and that's all well and good if they can be offered quality jobs elsewhere. But we're at least a decade away from that scenario, and most Remploy workers will end up with jobs at the lower end of the service sector, such as stacking shelves and cleaning toilets - if they can find jobs at all.

"For a Government body, funded by the taxpayer, to be treating disabled people like this is disgraceful, and we wanted to let this minister know what we think of her, raise public awareness and make people understand what is happening to us.

"We called Mrs McGuire Judas' because that's what we believe she is - and she looked fairly brassed off about it."

The result of a ballot for industrial action at the York plant will be known next week. Their resolve to save the site was strengthened following the removal of batches of machinery over the weekend - but only after an employees' blockade thwarted initial attempts to take it away.

"It's disappointing, but we did what we could and made it as awkward as possible for them," said Mr Wilson.

"We still believe removing the machinery like this was wrong, underhand and shows a lack of dignity towards workers."

Remploy said the sewing machines and other items taken were needed for another factory and delays in removing them would cost the company money. It vowed not to make any York workers redundant and was having talks with each of them, claiming to have 100 suitable vacancies within 12 miles of the factory.

Anne McGuire's office was unavailable for comment about the Bradford demonstration.