Union leaders were due to meet bosses of Manchester brewers Boddingtons on Wednesday over plans to re-locate beer production after 200 years.

The discussions, over the proposal to move as much as 86% of beer production to south Wales and to Blackburn, Lancashire, are the first head-to-head meeting over the plan.

Up to 68 jobs are set to go under the plans of Boddingtons' owners Interbrew, which will be implemented over two years from next February.

However, the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) claims to have found a way of reducing costs on site to avoid the job cuts.

[Interbrew] did indicate they would look at anything we've got to propose in a favourable way

Franny Joyce, TGWU

The alternative proposals from the TGWU also include methods of increasing the flexibility of staff.

Last month Franny Joyce, the TGWU's north-west organiser, accused Interbrew of hypocrisy over the plans.

His accusations came after it emerged Interbrew had shelved similar plans to move Glasgow brewers Tennents because the company felt it was too closely linked with the city.

The union argues Boddingtons is just as closely tied with Manchester and re-location plans should be similarly shelved.

Mr Joyce told BBC News Online he was not sure whether Interbrew will take the proposals on board.

'Unique position'

He said: "We outlined the strategy we developed last week to them and they were responsive.

"They did indicate that they would look at anything we've got to propose in a favourable way.

"But they were always going to say that, they weren't going to say 'It doesn't matter what you say you've got no chance'."

Interbrew said its plans to move the production of draughtflow Boddingtons out of Strangeways, would not alter the fact the brewery will continue to "hold a unique position in our business."