Crucial day long talks on a pay deal which could save more than 1,000 jobs at Belfast aerospace company Bombardier were tonight described as "constructive".
The company said following the preliminary discussions with trade unions that both sides agreed to meet again on Sunday and, pending clarification of some outstanding issues, to enter into formal negotiations next Tuesday.
The new round of talks is aimed at striking a deal to stave off 1,050 redundancies being threatened by the Canadian parent company if workers continue to reject a pay deal.
The jobs crisis was sparked at the end of May when a majority of workers voted against the four year pay and conditions deal - which had been backed by union shop stewards - and which involved a pay freeze in the first year.
The company, which had warned the workforce in advance of the implications of rejecting the deal, were swift to announce the redundancies.
The job losses were put on hold while shop stewards worked to win a fresh mandate from workers to return to the negotiating table.
Full-time union officials from the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, including Amicus, the GMB and the Transport and General Workers, became involved when the shop stewards failed to get the mandate they needed.
Mr Peter Williamson of Amicus, who led today's discussions with management, said the possibility of more than 1,000 workers losing their jobs was so important his organisation had to get involved.
He told a meeting of 800 Bombardier workers in Belfast last week he was hopeful of ending the stalemate and getting a deal which could be sold to the workforce.