THE sale of Greencore Malt to the Soufflet group of France has stalled and the €120 million deal isunderstood to have collapsed.

MALTING barley growers protested outside the Greencore Malt plant in Athy, Co Kildare, yesterday over issues including the 2009 crop price and a proposed cut in contracts.

THE Government faces the threat of nationwide industrial disruption with up to half-a-million workers being urged to protest over employers’ failure to honour redundancy payment orders.