Staff have been locked out of the Bootle site for five weeks after protests against redundancy pay and selection criteria turned sour last month.

Despite ongoing picketing at the plant against the redundancies, Unite regional officer Phil Morgan told PrintWeek that letters were sent out on Friday.

He said: "Both of our FOCs have been handed redundancy notices as well as a number of our more active members. It is our belief that their aim all along was to target the union and weaken it."

Meanwhile, last Thursday (15 March) Unite also walked away from four disciplinary meetings with the company, relating to alleged criminal damage at the plant when it was occupied by employees on 17 February.

Morgan said: "When we turned up at the Deeside plant for the meetings, we were met with a number of security guards and a police wagon.

"The company refused to listen to witnesses on behalf of the four accused and would not allow us to cross-examine their witnesses. I was not prepared to go through with what can only be described as a kangaroo court and we left.

"We have major concerns about the unjust processes the company is prepared to use. They aren't talking to us, and that is the only way we are going to get a resolution. Our next step is to go to their customers and ask them the question, do they want their brand associated with such a toxic dispute?"