I want to thank Peter Pugh and Colin Bennett especially, for their hard work over the shutdown period getting the plants ready for this phased re-opening of our facilities.

This week we began bringing back Plant Managers and small working teams to ensure we have followed Government guidelines and the plants are safe working environments for our people to return to the workplace.

I am aware of some of our employees including Board members who have also fallen ill and some resulting in hospital stays. I am pleased to say they are all recovering which is great news. It is a reminder of how serious this Virus is, and just because the numbers are going down it is still out there!

For those of you who are concerned about returning to work I assure you , that we have taken every possible precaution we can and some of our Unite stewards have viewed these changes and were pleased to see we have taken the necessary precautionary measures.

I would also reiterate the point we made in the last briefing that Manufacturing is not one of those sectors restricted by the Government to open, see below statement from Secretary of State:

‘Manufacturing is a critical part of our economy and I would like to be clear that there is no restriction on manufacturing continuing under the current rules ’

• The Rt. Hon Alok Sharma
• MP Secretary of State
• Department for Business

Our Group Health and Safety Manager Colin Bennett has prepared a comprehensive booklet guide for everyone returning to work which you will be supplied with on your return. You will see changes to the working environment both in the offices and shop floor where we would ask you to observe and abide by these instructions please.

This is going to mean changes and support from every one of you with all of the changes and I ask you to consider your own part in keeping the workplace safe for you and your colleagues and all of our families.

We will continue with home working for staff where possible but also introduce a rota system, so people get some form of personal interaction.

Colin will be carrying out a risk assessment for all of the offices and we will use the month of May to determine a safe working policy.

You will know by now that not all of you will be returning to work and at the moment, we cannot guarantee how many of you will return and when. This is dictated by Customer demand and also if there any further changes to Government policy.

The Board will review this on an on-going basis by Plant and for Sertec Group employees by Department, but the output from those plans will be a number of you will remain on furlough.

It is unlikely demand will return for a considerable amount of time, and there will be inevitable actions we will need to take to protect the business.

We do not want to lose jobs, but it will be dictated by this demand and how fast that returns. Any changes and proposals will be communicated through the proper consultations with Unions and works committees.

We have a very viable company before this Global crisis impacted on our business and we have also won substantial orders for future business including the EV project.

I want to thank everyone for their support in these difficult times and the personal sacrifices we have all had to make financially to keep the business running.

Be assured we are doing everything we can to provide a safe working place for you all to return to work and putting together a business plan to safeguard the Sertec Group.

In the meantime, please stay safe and abide by the Government advice and the message is we will get through this.

Grant Adams
CEO