JCB UK staff to receive pay rise and Christmas bonus

JCB's UK trading arm has announced it will be rewarding staff with a pay rise and a £500 Christmas bonus after a strong trading year.

About 4,400 employees at factories in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham will get a 5.2 per cent pay increase.

The pay rise, which is linked to November's retail price index, will come into effect from 1 January 2012.

The company had faced difficult trading conditions in 2008 when staff agreed to work a 34-hour week to avoid job cuts.

Liz Copper reports.