AIRBUS employees will soon vote on having a shorter working week to save job losses.

The manufacturer announced more than 1,700 jobs were at risk across the UK during the summer - with the brunt of those being felt in Flintshire with around 1,400 roles at the plant earmarked.

Now, Unite members working at the Airbus plant in Broughton are soon to be balloted on a plan to move to a shorter working week to save jobs.

The plan which has been negotiated between Unite and Airbus will see a reduction in the working week of five to ten per cent for a short period of time.

If agreed, the proposal will remove the possibility of compulsory redundancies and provide a roadmap to a resumption of full time working and a way out of this COVID-19 crisis.

Peter Hughes, Unite Wales Regional Secretary, said: “Coronavirus has been devastating for the Aerospace sector and specifically for Airbus in the UK.

“If agreed by the workforce at Broughton these proposals for a shorter working week will protect jobs and remove the possibility of compulsory redundancies.

“We have already lost close to 1,000 high quality jobs at Broughton during the coronavirus crisis, we can’t afford to lose any more.

"This plan to reduce hours will come with a reduction in pay for our members but crucially it offers a route out of the current crisis which will not involve any further job losses.”

Mr Hughes added that Unite believes this is “the best option available” when it comes to saving jobs at the facility.

Daz Reynolds, Unite Convenor at Airbus, added: “Airbus Broughton has been devastated by Covid19 and we have explored every avenue available to seek a viable future for this world class plant.

“We believe that this proposal for a shorter working week is the only way in which we can avoid compulsory redundancies based on the current build plans for Broughton.

"Under the shorter working week proposal, the reduction in hours, and therefore pay, will be mitigated by the companies agreement to cover a third of the shortfall.

“We will be balloting on the proposals in the coming days. The senior Unite reps and shop stewards are unanimously proposing acceptance of the proposal as the only viable way of securing every highly skilled and quality job here at Broughton.”