Last week, workers at the Newcastle-based firm were told by parent Field Group that the site was on a 90-day notice period over a potential closure should they refuse to accept the conditions. Staff, management and Amicus met earlier this week.

According to a spokesman at Field Group, the ballot is ongoing and it expects “confirmation of a positive result during next week”.

Proposals include a three-year pay freeze for around 15% of the plant’s workforce and changes to its overtime payments regime.

Workers at the facility have contacted PrintWeek over concerns about the new terms and conditions and fears that the site would close. One unnamed worker said that the workforce had been left with no option but to agree the terms as the 90-day consultation period started before they had voted.

But the Field Group spokesman said: “The pay freeze will affect only a small proportion of the workforce and will correct some of the recent pay awards at the site, which have been above the national average.”

He insisted that there was no talk of redundancies and the changes were designed to turn around the plant’s poor financial performance in recent years.

The plant has been under the spotlight following months of industrial action.

Amicus was unavailable for comment.