WORKERS at the country's oldest chromium plant will meet tomorrow to discuss a revised redundancy package put forward by the company.

Bosses at Elementis Chromium, at Eaglescliffe, near Yarm, Teesside, met unions yesterday amid threats of industrial action from workers if the current redundancy packages are not improved.

The dispute follows weeks of talks between Elementis, the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) and regional development agency One NorthEast over plans to shed 120 jobs at the plant.

Joe Keith, of the T&G, said yesterday's meeting was "quite progressive".

"The company came back with an offer, which will be discussed with members on Wednesday," he said.

"That will be followed by a workplace ballot to decided whether or not to accept the offer. Nothing will decided before January."

Eighty six per cent of the 230-strong workforce has already voted in favour of strike action in a consultative ballot shortly after Elementis announced the job cuts in October.

The multi-national, which is made up of four divisions, blamed high energy costs for continued losses at the Teesside plant and began a 90-day consultation period to run until next month.

The group's interim report earlier this year showed that its chromium division had an operating loss of £1.1m before exceptional items.