HUNDREDS of workers face the axe in a devastating jobs blow for Alsager.
The axe is due to fall on 195 employees at Twyford Bathrooms, more than a third of the workforce.
The jobs are likely to go by early next year under "far-reaching" changes.
The firm, the biggest in Alsager, blamed the job losses on the "challenging" bathroom market and cheap imports.
Twyford employs 539 people, a workforce set to be slashed by 36 per cent under the radical "restructuring" plans.
"This is not a decision we have taken lightly," said company managing director Alan Brown.
"We have explored every possible scenario, but regrettably the only solution is to follow this course of action."
He said the bathroom market had become increasingly "challenging."
"It is no longer possible for Twyford Bathrooms to continue production in the same manner in the UK and remain competitive," he said.
Twyford said it had begun consulting with staff at the factory to implement "far-reaching changes to production" at the site.
"This may result in the restructuring of the factory, and, following an extensive period of consultation, the probable loss of up to 195 jobs by the beginning of 2007," it added.
Twyford Bathrooms has been part of Sanitec, the European sanitary ware manufacturing group, since 2001.
The company said over the last few years it had been necessary to source increasing amounts of product from elsewhere within the Sanitec Group to remain competitive in the face of increasing low-cost imports.
It added that the restructuring would allow the company to continue to concentrate on the design and manufacture of more complex products.
It would also ensure the world class design and development facilities at Twyford Bathrooms remained key to the Sanitec products.
The company said the restructuring was likely to see the reduction in the size of the factory.
Management are consulting with staff and union representatives, and the company said it would work with employment agencies to enable staff to be retrained and find new jobs.
Twyford said any likely restructuring of the factory and reduction in staff was anticipated to be completed by the start of next year.
It added the announcement of the review of production at the factory signalled the start of a long process, which would include comprehensive consultation with staff.
"During this time the company will assist those affected with maximum support," it said.
