Employees at Bentley have secured a multi-year pay deal with Unite union which delivers a cut in hours and increased pay.

The new arrangement will see workers at the manufacturer's headquarters in Crewe, Cheshire, have their basic hours reduced from 37 to 35-a-week while their pay increases by 6.5%.

Backdated to January 1, 2017, the deal also sees workers receive a consolidated payment worth £900 over three years, with the addition of the potential for members to earn significant bonuses linked to delivery, quality and efficiency.

Unite’s regional officer, Phil Morgan, said: “Members have overwhelmingly supported this pay deal as they recognise that it provides a significant increase in pay as well as a dramatic improvement in conditions.

“This was an important deal for both Unite and Bentley as it allows the company to plan ahead, particularly in relation to new model development and gives members a great deal of security in what is a very uncertain time for car makers.

“By agreeing a multi-year pay deal all sides now know exactly where they stand as we continue with the countdown to Brexit.

"Without this multi-year pay deal there would inevitability have been an increasing amount of uncertainty, which is what all parties wanted to avoid.”

The reduction in hours for Bentley's assembly line workers will come into effect on January 1, 2019, and will result in no loss of pay.

There will also be an improvement in company sick pay and holiday pay premiums.

Unite members voted in favour of the pay deal by a margin of three to one.