IT services firm Fujitsu held talks with the Unite union at Acas yesterday, in an effort to end a lengthy and increasingly bitter staff dispute and avoid further strikes.
The dispute concerns an estimated 1,200 redundancies, a pay freeze, as well as the closure of the final salary pension scheme.
Unite members at Fujitsu walked out for six days last month and held a one-day strike yesterday, with further walkouts planned for Friday and next Monday.
But several hundred compulsory redundancies due this week will be put on hold, while the two sides thrash out their differences at Acas, reports Computer World UK.
Union members called the meeting a welcome development, though insisted they did not know yet what the proposals would be.
Unite urged its members to continue the strikes to put pressure on the company during the talks.
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Fujitsu confirmed that the meeting was taking place but would not comment further.
The strikes have targeted work on a number of high profile contracts, including with Marks & Spencer, Vodafone, the Home Office, HM Revenue & Customs, the Financial Services Authority and the Post Office.