Union leaders and management at the Bausch & Lomb plant in Waterford begin crisis talks at the Labour Relations Commission today to avert strike action.
The talks follow an 11th-hour agreement between both sides that narrowly prevented a walk out at the Bausch & Lomb plant last night.
Management had put 1,500 workers at the contact lens manufacturer on protective notice over a dispute about the suspension of a union representative.
The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) claimed the employee was suspended without pay for alleged comments to a production manager.
The union said the proposed disciplinary action against the shop steward and the planned strike action were both dropped in the meantime.
TEEU had threatened to mount official pickets from Sunday evening to defend its member from what it claimed was "victimisation".
PA