Kim Jin-Suk came down from the 35-metre (115-foot) crane at the yard of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction in the southern port city of Busan, the witness told AFP by phone.

Kim, 52, has not touched the ground since she climbed up the crane in January, with supporters sending food, water and other necessities up by rope. Police had been reluctant to halt the supplies for fear she would jump.

But they have said Kim will be arrested after a medical check-up on charges of obstructing business and trespass.

Earlier Thursday, the union approved a compromise with management under which 94 laid-off workers will be rehired within a year.

They will also receive some 20 million won ($17,500) in compensation, and damage lawsuits filed against strikers will be dropped.

The dispute began last December when 900 unionists went on strike in protest at plans to scrap 400 jobs. The company responded by locking the shipyard and cut off electricity to the crane as a pressure tactic against Kim.

Thousands of protesters from across the country repeatedly marched through Busan in a show of support for the laid-off workers, sparking clashes with riot police and resulting in many arrests.

Hanjin, which was once among the world's 10 largest shipyards, said the strike had cost millions of dollars. The company posted a net loss of 51.7 billion won last year.

Hanjin has reduced its workforce in Busan since it opened a shipyard in the northern Philippine port of Subic Bay.