Workers at a fertiliser plant in Belfast tonight ended a long-running sit-in protest over redundancy pay.
Employees at the Richardson's factory went home after union representatives and the company's liquidators reached an agreement this evening.
Staff began the sit-in when it emerged the company would not be paying redundancy in accordance with standing agreements and they would not receive their full pension entitlements from the company scheme.
More than 200 workers lost their jobs at Richardson's Fertilizers in Belfast following the decision to liquidate Irish Fertilizer Industries (IFI).
Some of the workers staged a sit-in on the premises for several weeks.
However, union leaders tonight said a deal has been agreed which will lead to significantly improved redundancy terms. But officials added that they may pursue a shortfall in the company's pension fund through the courts.
Mr Eamon McDaid of SIPTU said tonight the liquidator had acknowledged standard redundancy agreements and he expressed his hope that workers would soon get at least 90 per cent of the money due to them.
More than 600 workers lost their jobs at plants in Arklow, Belfast, and Cork when IFI went into liquidation last month. Richardson's said the company's closure was forced by difficult market conditions over a two-year period, during which demand slumped by 10 per cent.
The development has been seen as a major blow for the agriculture industry on both sides of the Border.
PA