A UNION representing the former employees at Glory Mill has rejected an offer to assist deferred pensioners of Felix Schoeller's company pension scheme.

However, the union Amicus has left the door open for further discussions.

The package which offered a range of possible support, including training and a fund to help those facing genuine hardship, was made at a meeting in Germany in September between Felix Schoeller with Amicus the Union's officer Brian Gallagher and member Heidi Urwin, a representative of the Felix Schoeller Pensions Action Group.

Amicus national officer Alan Harvey's letter to Dr Bernhard Klofat of Felix Schoeller GmbH of November 1 stated: "The union is unable to accept this offer on the grounds that it does not resolve the issue of lost pension and that it is not open to all deferred pensioners affected but only offered on a means tested basis.

"We are delighted that open discussion has taken place and would welcome the opportunity to negotiate further so that a satisfactory conclusion can be achieved for all concerned."

The letter of November 1 follows a meeting last month in London between Dr Friederike Kalthoff of Felix Schoeller, and assistant Simon O'Keeffe and Heidi Urwin and Business News to further clarify the situation.

At that meeting Friederike Kalthoff explained that the original offer was not written in stone, but only used as an example for a basis for further discussion.

"We are a socially minded company and what we thought and still think that it is a framework for a specific offer," she said.

"If we agree to come together to talk further we really need specifics over the definition of hardship which at this time means different things to all of us."

Felix Schoeller proposed a time span from October, 2004 to the middle of 2005oin order to come to grips with the situation.

Heidi said: "I am very pleased that we are talking but we still need to resolve the issue."