WORKERS AT Jaguar Land Rover will hold a ballot on a deal aimed at avoiding compulsory job losses for two years in exchange for a one-year pay freeze, increased pension contributions and a four-day week.
The company, which in January announced the shedding of 450 managerial and salaried staff, said on Monday that it had reached an agreement with union officials representing hourly paid workers, aimed at coping with a sharp drop in demand.
The company, bought from Ford by Tata Motors of India for $2.3 billion (€1.8 billion) in March of last year, operates plants in Castle Bromwich, Coventry and Solihull in the West Midlands and Halewood on Merseyside.
David Smith, chief executive, has been at the forefront of industry leaders calling for the government to accelerate plans to provide support for the car industry and its suppliers in the face of plummeting demand.