Workers have agreed, amongst other concessions, to extend their working week by three hours to 38, for the next two years.

MAN Roland GB marketing director Murray Lock said the move would bring Offenbach in line with the rest of the group.

"German production suffers from inflexibility, and this is part of an on-going process of being more flexible in the market," said Lock.

The extra hours wont be paid unless the plant reaches profitability targets. In return MAN has said it will refrain from enforced layoffs.