UNIONS and management at Irish Life will meet this morning in a ditch attempt to avert the dismissal of 420 staff, from the company. Irish Life has stated that it intends to issue notice of dismissal to all of its field employees today in the absence of a settlement.

The company has already moved to dismiss five of its staff who are due to leave the company on August 16th next. Both sides said yesterday they remained "hopeful" that some progress could be made.

Mr John Tierney, national secretary of the MSF union, which represents all of the 420 staff affected, said he was optimistic there would be some attempt to find a way forward at the meeting. But the union had begun to make "appropriate arrangements" should the situation deteriorate.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Irish Life confirmed it was continuing to arrange meetings with individual field staff to finalise their dismissals today and throughout next week. He said the company hoped "common sense" would prevail.

The company has defended its ultimatum on the grounds that the field workers are refusing to work under a new structure put forward by Irish Life chief executive in Ireland, Ms Jean Wood.

Under the new arrangements, Irish Life wants to redeploy up to 430 sales staff, known as PFAs, in new sales teams. The employees are opposed to the terms under which this is to be achieved.

Under the new structure, the company wants to introduce new reporting methods and work practices for the PFAs. With basic salaries of around £10,000 the sales staff rely heavily on commissions to boost their income and fear the new system will mean slower sales and fewer commissions.

MSF has sought £40,000 compensation for each of the sales force for agreeing to the redeployment terms.