JCB employees get £1,000 Christmas bonus

The festive cheer will see over 7,000 employees receive a £1,000 bonus

More than 7,000 employees at manufacturing giant JCB will receive a £1,000 Christmas bonus.

JCB said machine production had reached a 73-year high in 2018 and it had recruited an additional 1,500 staff.

Its chairman Lord Bamford said JCB had had "a very successful year".

The firm - which has plants in Uttoxeter, Rugeley, Rocester, Cheadle in East Staffordshire and Foston, Derbyshire - said it was the biggest Christmas bonus giveaway since 2007.

Lord Bamford added: "I am delighted that we are able to award a substantial Christmas bonus to thank our employees for their contribution."

JCB has 22 plants on four continents manufacturing more than 300 products.

In March the firm said growing global demand drove the creation of 600 new JCB manufacturing jobs.

A new £50m JCB factory - set to open in summer 2019 - will create another 200 jobs, it added.

Lord Bamford said JCB had had a "successful year"

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