JCB staff accept shorter working week to save jobs

THOUSANDS of JCB production staff have voted to accept a cut in working hours in order to save around 350 jobs across the UK.

Last week a ballot of 2,500 GMB union members at seven of JCB’s UK production sites resulted in a majority of more than two thirds voting in favour of a 34h week instead of the alternative of cutting around 500 shop floor positions.

Although the decision means the number of redundancies will be reduced by two thirds, around 150 jobs will still be cut. JCB say they need to reduce output across the country by almost 20% to align production with current downturn in demand caused by the global financial crisis.

About 430 jobs have already gone at the company in recent months.

JCB chief executive officer Matthew Taylor said: ‘The ballot result shows the tremendous unity among the JCB workforce and a great team spirit, which I applaud. They have looked after the needs of one another rather than the needs of the individual and that is to be commended.’

The Rocester-based company, which has 11 factories across the UK, said a reduction in working hours had been its preferred option.

‘From a JCB perspective, it means we retain the fundamental strength of our workforce and this is very welcome news as it puts us in a very strong position to take advantage quickly of the upturn in the market when it comes,’ said Mr Taylor.

GMB organizer Keith Hodgkinson was also pleased that 350 jobs had been saved. He said the short time was part of a worsening recession and that these GMB members would expect the Government and the Bank of England to take steps to begin large-scale public works to slow the recession down and prevent it getting too deep.

Following last week’s ballot result, short-time working will start at the beginning of November for a minimum of six months. According to the GMB, some of the pay the workers will lose will be made up with the help of money from a government fund.