An independent assessor has been appointed to carry out an examination of the viability of the country's largest bookbinders.
The appointment was made after management at Reilly Bookbinders signalled that it was prepared to reverse an earlier decision to close its plant in Co Wicklow and transfer work to eastern Europe.
Staff at the company voted yesterday to accept proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to settle a dispute over the management's plans to close the Irish operation.
However, staff are to continue with an occupation of the premises until the independent assessment is completed, most likely by the weekend.
Employees at Reilly Bookbinders have been engaged in a sit-in at the premises for nearly a fortnight following an announcement by management that it planned to close its operation in Wicklow, where it has been based for nearly 30 years, and transfer work to the Czech Republic.
The company had said that its operation in Co Wicklow was insolvent.
However, it is understood that at the LRC hearing yesterday management representatives said the owners of Reilly Bookbinders, the Dunn and Wilson Group Ltd, had abandoned plans to move operations to the Czech Republic and would continue using the existing plant at the Murrough Industrial Estate in Wicklow town.
Shane McKean of the Irish Print Group division of Siptu, who represents the 10 women and four men working at the plant, said that given management's previous claims that it was insolvent, an independent assessment was needed of the company's commercial viability.
The independent assessor, Brian Aylward, is expected to report back to the LRC by Friday.
Siptu said the staff were hoping that he would find that the company had a viable future under new management.
"This is a viable operation with a viable future, if the right formula can be found. Reilly Bookbinders has been in Wicklow town for 30 years and there is no reason it could not last at least another 30," Mr McKean said.
The company did not comment yesterday.
Reilly bookbinders carries out binding of journals, documents and reports.
Customers include several Government departments, local authorities and a number of universities and libraries around the country.
The company also carries out some work on archival documents. It is believed to be one of three or four binding companies in operation in Ireland.
