Dozens of workers have walked out of a factory where they spent four days holed up in the lunchroom as part of a heated industrial dispute.
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More than 25 employees at International Flavours and Fragrances (IFF), which makes flavourings for companies including Coca-Cola and Smiths Chips, staged a sit-in protest at their Dandenong South plant since negotiations for a new workplace deal broke down on Tuesday.
The workers voted to leave the factory on Friday evening, claiming a "significant win" after the company agreed to bring its Asia-Pacific management team to the negotiating table.
A petition calling for the regional managers to meet with employees had attracted more than 1000 signatures.
National Union of Workers representatives will meet with the company in the Fair Work Commission on Saturday morning to continue negotiating a new deal.
NUW spokeswoman Emma Kerin said the workers felt management had finally started to listen.
"The members left the lunchroom in good faith and are happy at being able to see their families again," she said.
"Several workers missed their kids' first days of school and two members have babies who are only weeks' old.
"But they are really determined that they are going to continue sticking together if need be."
The company said in a statement that it was eager to strike an agreement with the union, but it had not been prepared to do so while the union and workers engaged in "unlawful industrial action".
"The door to negotiation is, and always has been, open," IFF chief executive Andreas Fibig said.
"Now that the union and employees have left the premises, we welcome the opportunity to move forward, come to a fair resolution, and see our people back at work."
The workers decided to take protected action last Monday by stopping all paperwork. But when they arrived at the factory before 6am, the company locked them out, citing food safety concerns.
Staff raced inside and had a meeting in the lunchroom, where they staged a four-day sit-in, refusing to leave.
Workers said they were were protesting against what they felt were unreasonable cuts to their conditions by IFF, one of the biggest flavouring companies.
Local businesses and members from other trade unions have been donating supplies including roast dinners and posting messages of "solidarity", while the hashtag #OccupyDandenong gained serious steam on social media.
