JCB is to end short-time working at its UK factories and resume a five-day working pattern after suppliers from China started to return to normal following the coronavirus outbreak.
The construction equipment manufacturer announced last month that it would slow production, with a shorter working week for around 4,000 of its employees and agency staff from 17 February, as well as a suspension of overtime.
That was because around a quarter of JCB’s Chinese suppliers closed because of the coronavirus outbreak, which started in Wuhan, China.
But from this week, all factories are reverting to a basic working week of 39 hours.
JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “This is not a moment for celebration, but it is a step in the right direction. There has been some improvement in the shipment of components from China but new threats are emerging from our supply chain in other parts of the world, notably Italy and South Korea. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely on a daily basis and take any necessary measures to protect the business.”
