1.   Freeland said that seven colleges have either completed or are close to completing their retrenchment plans, with a loose deadline set for the end of this week.

2.   According to union officials, when the company reopened the plant Friday, workers refused to go back to work in protest against the retrenchment plan.

3.   Any retrenchment has to follow procedures, and the ministry recently introduced a policy that compels employers to inform it of any retrenchment plan.

4.   EMPLOYERS are complying well with the regulation that requires them to inform the Labour Department of their retrenchment plans one month in advance.

5.   Kadir also urged employers to inform the Ministry early of retrenchment plans as this would give them time to find other placements.

6.   The statistics are obtained through regulations which require employers to inform the Labour Department about their retrenchment plans.

7.   There have been rumours on retrenchment plans by some firms.

8.   Union and company officials met Monday and Tuesday nights to discuss a possible compromise involving a return of the laid-off workers and review of the retrenchment plans.

9.   TWO reasons were cited for a government directive to employers to report their retrenchment plans, if any, to the Labour Department.

10.   Wimalasena said that the agreement called on both parties to resolve the contentious retrenchment plan through negotiations.