ICTU proposals for a resumption of work at Cadbury Ireland in Coolock, Dublin, will be voted on today by the 85 fitters at the plant.
The move to resolve the unofficial dispute, which saw the entire workforce of 1,100 laid off yesterday, were worked out after a five hour meeting between the unions and Congress officials.
The meeting ended at 8 p.m. Earlier, the company laid off the workforce when their shifts ended. Production at the plant operates around the clock.
Congress is recommending that the proposals be accepted and is concerned that 1,100 jobs should be put in jeopardy.
A company spokesman said last night that the factory would remain closed until the matter was resolved. He said the workers had been laid off and the machinery was out of operation.
The company says the dispute was caused by the fitters objecting to electricians preparing metal strips to be used to secure electrical panels to the factory floor. This is part of a £20 million investment programme to increase the manufacturing capacity of its newest and highly successful product, Time Out.
But the litters, who are members of the AEEU and the TEEU, accused the management of misrepresenting their position. They stressed that it was not a demarcation dispute. It involved a row that has been going on for about four years and related to the introduction of new technology.
SIPTU, which represents half the workers, expressed concern at the dispute. A spokesman said his members were not involved and appealed to the workers to use normal industrial procedures. "It is something that has to be resolved sometime, so its better that it be sorted out now rather than later.
He said it was a bad time for a dispute because workers had little money after the Christmas and had commitments to meet. There was a possibility that 80 permanent jobs could be created by the dew expansion and they should not do anything to jeopardise that.
The company employs 1,600 people in Ireland at its plants in Coolock and Rathmore, Co Kerry, with exports in excess of £120 million. It has pursued a New Product Development Programme in recent years of which Time Out is the most recent example.
The Fianna Fail spokesman on labour affairs, Mr Tom Kitt TD, called on both sides to settle the matter quickly and refer it to the Labour Relations Committee. He said Cadbury was one of the State's largest companies and a prolonged dispute would have serious implications for the company and its employees. This was especially so in the light of the present currency differentiation with sterling.