Workers at Flahavan’s in Kilmacthomas have voted to accept a new pay agreement following a long-running dispute.

Trade union Unite says the deal will bring bakery operatives into line with mill workers on pay.

Under the agreement, bakery packers will receive a 13% increase, while bakery processors will receive a 21.5% increase.

Both increases will be backdated to January.

A separate 3.5% pay increase has also been agreed, with the deal set to run until June next year.

The agreement follows an earlier dispute at the Kilmacthomas plant, which saw workers move towards a ballot for industrial action over a proposed pay deal and what Unite described at the time as an unagreed ‘flexibility agreement’.

Unite had said the flexibility proposal had not formed part of negotiations and should not be tied to any new pay agreement.

The union says workers have now voted to accept the new deal.