The Sunderland plant opened in 1986

Members of the Amicus union have already voted to strike in protest at the company's plans to transfer its 60-strong purchasing department from Sunderland to Cranfield, Bedfordshire - 200 miles away.

The union complained that the workers were not consulted over the transfer and had been treated like "robots".

But Nissan, which employs 4,500 in Sunderland, said it had offered an extensive relocation package for those workers who wanted to move.

Industrial action

A union spokesman said: "The last thing anyone wants is a strike.

"We are hopeful that through these talks we will be able to come up with a solution to the problem without the need for any industrial action."

A spokesman for Nissan, which has enjoyed 18 years of industrial peace at the Wearside factory, said: "Talks are something that both sides want and hopefully we will be able to come up with a solution."

The company says it has offered an attractive relocation package for those who agree to move, including six years mortgage interest support for an increase in housing cost of up to �75,000, and up to �7,500 in relocation allowances.

It has also offered a severance package, which includes a payment of about �17,500 to a typical worker in the purchasing department, plus other support.

If the talks fail, the strike is planned to start early in the New Year.