A HEAVILY pregnant em­ployee of travel agent Thomas Cook, who is due to give birth in two weeks, has vowed to remain locked in the Dublin office until a redundancy dispute ends.

Avril Boyne (26), from Crumlin in Dublin, was with her doctor on Friday when she received a call from colleagues informing her of the impending lock-in at the Grafton Street office.

Staff are in dispute with the firm over the amount of redundancy pay offered after it was announced that both its city centre branches were to close.

Members of the Transport Salaried Staff's Association (TSSA) had already balloted for industrial action after it was announced the shops were to close at the end of the month. Their early closure on Friday prompted staff to stage an indefinite sit-in.

Boyne says staff are determined to make their argument for a fairer redundancy package, a point illustrated by her own willingness to go into labour during the stand-off.

"These are all my friends and I have worked here for nine years. I have to stand by them," she said. "I was in the doctor's yesterday morning with pains in my back when I got the call to come in here. But we have plans in place; my friend's father is a fireman and he has been in here a few times. He has delivered four babies."

According to a customer service number provided to those concerned about holidays booked through the agency, the Grafton Street branch will reopen on Tuesday. Staff have disputed this, saying they will stay in place as long as it takes.

"We have rostered ourselves here for the weekend. That is it for now but we will see," said a spokeswoman.