PLANS to ballot for industrial action at Halewood transmissions plant Getrag Ford have been postponed after talks with senior bosses of the Anglo-German group.
More than 600 workers were angry that shifts were being reduced from three to one and work transferred to a French sister site in Bordeaux in response to a fall in orders from a motor industry badly hit by the recession.
But Unite the Union national auto industry negotiator Dave Osborne revealed the plant will revert to its three shift system until the end of August while talks take place to try and resolve the dispute.
He said: "We gave the company notice of a ballot for industrial action starting next Thursday.
"But we have always said this is a last resort and wanted to negotiate a settlement that will protect the interests of the people and leave the plant as a significant part of the Getrag Ford business."
Senior company bosses met with the union this Wednesday when they agreed a two month breathing space while both sides try to resolve the problem.
Mr Osborne said: "We had a full and frank discussion and as a result of that we agreed a temporary resolution to the current problems.
"Everyone will go back on three shifts until the end of August.
"In the meantime both sides will try and conclude a negotiated settlement within that timescale."
