Workers at Airbus in Filton have been furloughed as Covid-19 hits the aviation sector.
Airbus reduced production at its Bristol site in March and now 500 workers in Filton and Broughton, North Wales, are being laid off or furloughed, which means 80 per cent of their salary will be paid by the government's Job Retention Scheme.
The workers are largely employed by contractor Guidant at the two plants, according to Bristol Live's sister website Business Live.
The company says “adjustments of activities” will be necessary in Filton and Broughton.
Airbus said in a statement: “We had already adapted our production activity by bringing forward the summer shutdown and extending the Easter break for production staff across both sites.
“Production teams are currently on an extended Easter break. This was initially until April 14 and has just been extended until April 20.
“This is a consequence of the immediate short-term demand of our Final Assembly Line (FAL) customers in France, Germany and Spain over the next two to three weeks, and the assessment of our buffer stock.”
Airbus has said employees involved in production received normal holiday-pay arrangements for the first two weeks.
It added: “As agreed with the Trade Union, we will use existing time-management systems, like time-saving accounts, to provide employees with a number of options in terms of covering holidays for the additional week holiday.”
When asked by Business Live if workers had been furloughed or laid off, the aerospace giant said: "Unfortunately, it has been necessary to review and reduce our temporary production and production-support labour.
"This impacts about 500 Broughton and Filton staff largely employed by Guidant, our temporary labour provider."
