Workers at a French-owned car components plant facing redundancy in the North maintained a sit-in tonight after turning down a management offer of negotiations if they halted the protest.

Workers facing redundancy at a French-owned car components plant in the North were today maintaining a sit-in amid a row over the size of their pay-off.

Almost 100 workers at a French-owned car components factory were told today they are to lose their jobs as the plant closes.