Staff at the Rolls-Royce aerospace site in Bristol will "gradually" resume work, the engineering giant has confirmed.
The company, which has a big site in Filton, had cut "all but essential activity" at the site in March following the outbreak of coronavirus.
The Unite union, which represents thousands of Rolls-Royce staff including those in Bristol, has said production will resume under a new safety regime, with up to 60 per cent of the company's UK workforce potentially being employed in a rotation shift system.
The union said it had hammered out a package with Rolls-Royce, which says it is aiming to protect its 20,000-strong UK workforce in the workplace and financially.
Tony Tinley, a unite regional officer, said: “Our reps have worked really hard to achieve a stringent health and safety regime, with such features as a one-way system, which will enable the required employees to continue to work during the coronavirus emergency.
“Throughout the constructive talks with management, Unite has adopted a three-pronged approach: the vital importance of health and safety; protecting the jobs and incomes of our members in the short-term; and securing the long-term employment future of our members and the prosperity of the company.”
The deal includes a year-long 10 per cent pay delay, which will be paid back in the year starting April, 2021. This applies to Rolls-Royce’s global workforce, subject to local legal requirements.
Another key feature is that for the next three weeks, employees who are not required will be furloughed on full pay under the Government’s job retention scheme, which guarantees 80 per cent of pay, with the company paying the other 20 per cent.
Mr Tinley added: “What we have achieved at Rolls-Royce is a template that other companies could follow in terms of workers’ incomes and safety protections.
“We want to work constructively with aerospace companies across the region so when this emergency ends there is a strong platform to make the most of the aerospace engineering opportunities that will be available as the global economy recovers.”
