Fruit of the Loom, which employs around 3,500 people in the Republic and Northern Ireland, does not envisage a return to short time working in any of their plants this year, according to SIPTU. The company employs about 2,800 in Co Donegal.

Representatives of the union met with senior executives of Fruit of the Loom Europe in Derry yesterday and were told that the outlook for 1997 was very encouraging.