A big Bristol employer is offering nearly 2,000 staff voluntary redundancy.
Aerospace company GKN, which employs 1,500 people at its Filton plant and another 375 at Western Approach, has been hit by a slump in demand following the drop in air travel during the Covid-19 pandemic.
GKN's Filton site designs and manufactures structural assemblies for aircraft, as well as metallic components and systems, while Western Approach is a wing structures manufacturing and assembly facility.
The company said it opened the scheme after receiving “feedback” from employees and workers' union Unite.
A spokesperson said: “We are directly linked to our key customers and over recent weeks, following significant customer demand reductions.
"We have implemented production pauses in our Filton and Western Approach facilities and taken advantage of the Government’s furlough scheme extensively in order to protect as many permanent jobs as possible.
“During this unprecedented period we have also received feedback - both from employees and Unite the Union - that some colleagues would consider leaving the business if there was an opportunity to apply for voluntary resignation.
“Having listened to this feedback, we chose to open such a voluntary scheme for permanent employees at our Filton and Western Approach sites who wish to apply. The business is now assessing those applications."
GKN said it was continuing to “assess” the longer-term impact of the fall in demand on its business.
The news comes as Rolls-Royce confirms it is planning to cut up to 50 jobs in its civil aerospace division in Bristol.
The engineering giant, which has a defence and civil aerospace base in the city, is reportedly culling its UK workforce by up to 3,000.
Voluntary redundancy is being offered to everyone in the UK civil aerospace division, according to Rolls-Royce.
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