The action was part of a dispute over pay and conditions

About 4,000 members of the Amicus and Transport Workers unions began industrial action last Wednesday in a row over pay and cost-cutting at Northern Ireland's biggest manufacturing firm.

Talks to end the strike began almost immediately.

A breakthrough in the dispute was reached on Tuesday evening when shop stewards from the Amicus Union decided to back a proposal agreed between union leaders and the company.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Wednesday, Davy Thompson from the amalgamated T&G union welcomed the agreement.

"We are more than happy as a union with the settlement which we came to an agreement with the company last night," he said.

Everyone has agreed that the future wage contract is central to the future competitiveness of our operation here in Belfast Alex McRitchie Shorts management

"It allows our people to have a say through a ballot."

Director of communications at Shorts Alex McRitchie welcomed the ending of the action.

"We very much welcome the decision by both unions to call off their strike and the fact that our employees returned to work today, we are now back in full production," he said.

"The agreement means that we will enter full negotiations with the CSEU that represents all the unions within the company on the future wage contract later this and everyone has agreed that this is central to the future competitiveness of our operation here in Belfast."

Under the deal, there will be no redundancies before the end of March and a controversial new shift will be discussed as part of wider pay negotiations.

Redundancies

On Tuesday, Amicus shop stewards were asked to vote on proposals submitted by management, which have the backing of the union's full-time officials.

After the vote, Shorts' management welcomed the Amicus decision - and said they hoped a pay agreement could now be reached which would protect employees interests and the long term competitiveness of the company.

The pay and conditions dispute at the company has been dragging on for more than six months.

The strike action was the first of its kind at the company in 20 years.

Industrial action centred on two specific issues - the introduction of afternoon shifts and worries about redundancies - but it also stemmed from a wider dispute.

Shorts - which is owned by Canada's Bombardier - cut 600 jobs in May. The firm said a further 580 posts would go before next April but this was reduced in August to fewer than 100.

Shorts said its programme of cutbacks was in response to what it called "very challenging market conditions".

Bombardier has made it clear that it needs to reduce the workforce in Northern Ireland in order to improve competitiveness.