Protective notice issued to staff at the Braun Ireland factory in Carlow is to be lifted tomorrow before union-management talks. Chris Dooley, Industry and Employment Correspondent.
Fears about the future of the plant had been raised following a row over redundancies which led to 600 staff being placed on protective notice a week ago.
The company stressed yesterday, however, that there was no threat to the viability of the plant, which is Carlow's biggest private-sector employer with a workforce of about 700.
The issuing of protective notice to staff followed the introduction of an overtime ban by staff in the factory's industrial and technical area.
At a meeting yesterday between the company and SIPTU, the two sides agreed to open discussions next week. In the meantime, the overtime ban is to be lifted, and the protective notice withdrawn.
Mr Michael Browne, SIPTU's Carlow branch secretary, said "significant progress" was made in yesterday's discussions. Mr Gerry Kierans, a director of the company, said the plant's future had not been under threat at any stage.
Workers at the plant voted in December to accept a voluntary redundancy programme designed to reduce staff by 138 from 780. It is understood the present row centres on the selection criteria and redundancy terms applying to a section of the workforce in the industrial and technical area.
SIPTU has also queried the need for redundancies in an area where staff are required to work overtime.