Talks have taken place at the Labour Relations Commission in Dublin as part of efforts to end the Vita Cortex dispute.
Thirty-two staff at the foam manufacturing firm on the Kinsale Road in Cork have been occupying the plant since mid-December over a redundancy row.
A SIPTU delegation and four employees were briefed by LRC officials on the progress being made to reach a breakthrough, with a further assessment due by next weekend.
SIPTU's Anne Egar has said the union reaffirmed its position that the workers are seeking a previously agreed package of 0.9 weeks per year of service.
However, she admitted the owner of the company Jack Ronan is under no legal obligation to make the payments.