51.   Knight Ridder will offer early retirement packages in an effort to avoid layoffs.

52.   Lachmising said the company is searching for ways to avoid layoffs.

53.   Last month, FleetBoston began cutting back on travel and other expenses in an effort to avoid layoffs throughout the rest of the company.

54.   Mine workers had already accepted a wage freeze earlier this year, hoping to avoid layoffs.

55.   Miners said they would strike to urge a dialogue with management over the restructuring and to urge managers to avoid layoffs.

56.   Micron wants to avoid layoffs because when computer chip prices do recover, Mahoney said, it does not want to have to scramble for trained workers.

57.   On Friday, tens of thousands of coal miners walked away from the pits and started daily demonstrations to demand that ways be found to avoid massive layoffs.

58.   Taking steps to avoid layoffs Many office workers have learnt to adapt because of a real or perceived threat of downsizing or being laid off.

59.   The bank plans to avoid layoffs by cutting jobs through attrition and by shifting employees onto the payrolls of its affiliates, the spokesman said.

60.   Swiss labor unions demanded that a way be found to avoid layoffs, such as by implementing a shorter work week.