UNION officials were set to meet managers at Airsprung yesterday over fears the factory's wood mill is facing imminent closure.

GMB representatives hoped to discuss the Trowbridge company's plans to sub-contract work to Poland and Lithuania as part of a cost-cutting exercise.

Up to 60 employees in the wood mill fear their jobs could be lost as more products are shipped in from overseas.

Chief executive Tony Lisanti said the mill workforce had been slowly reduced over the last six months with employees offered alternative positions within the company.

GMB official Kevin Brandstatter said the situation looked grim for mill workers.

"Sub-contracting looks like it will cause the death of the wood mill," he said. "The employees are hacked off. They feel very, very let down by the company.

"Bosses said they want to avoid redundancies but the problem is these are skilled tradesmen so it might not be easy to slot them in elsewhere. It was only a few weeks ago the chief executive said that jobs were safe."

Mr Brandstatter was planning to raise employees' concerns at a meeting with managing director Paul Lamb and production director Richard Winterbottom yesterday.

Other issues on the table included thrashing out a new pay deal for workers.

Mr Lisanti said the manufacturing industry was taking a downturn making the future uncertain for many UK companies.

"Many of our customers are bringing in products from Brazil and eastern Europe for the price of our raw materials," he said.

"We have a large wood mill facility and are looking at the options for it. We are certainly reducing the amount we are producing with our own equipment.

"Some employees have decided they do not want to be relocated and have left of their own accord. The employees are fully aware of what is going on and the reasons why."

l Airsprung employees have had their working week slashed as bosses try to combat a blow to a major contract and a 'seasonal downturn in demand'.

News national furniture chain MFI has delisted the Trowbridge-based firm has forced bosses to introduce shorter shifts until business picks up.

Day shift workers will have their working week slashed by six-and-a-half hours from Monday.

The reduced hours are expected to last for the next six weeks.