UNION leaders have been given details of the redundancy payments being offered to workers when Terry's chocolate factory closes down next year.

But GMB spokesman John Kirk declined to make the offer public, or give his reaction, until after another meeting with company managers next week, at which the terms will be discussed.

He said the union would also be holding another meeting with managers next week, at which it hoped it would be given more information about the thinking behind the controversial proposals to close the York factory and transfer production abroad.

This would help the union decide if it could come up with a firm counter-proposal for the company to open a new purpose-built factory in the York area, which it believes could save about 80 of the current 316 jobs.

The unions have accepted the company's proposal to move All Gold production to a high-tech factory in Sweden, but want other items, such as Chocolate Orange and Segsations, to continue being made in the York area instead of switching to factories in Poland and Slovakia.

mike.laycock@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 10:07 Saturday, May 29, 2004