HONDA workers facing the chop will be handed six-and-a-half weeks' redundancy pay for every year they have worked at the car giant's Swindon plant under a new deal.

Staff yesterday welcomed the payout as a "very good deal".

And Paddy Brennan, Unite shop steward at the plant, said workers would also get a nine per cent pay rise over the next three years – in a deal he described as a win-win. Unite members would be balloted on the pay deal.

“They’ve really listened to what we’ve said,” he added of the Honda directors. “Everybody’s upset the factory’s closing. I’ve been there for 25 years. I’ve got a son in there.

“It’s a quirky organisation, but it’s a good employer. It’s been a good outcome.”

One worker, 51, who has worked at the plant for two decades, said: "Six-and-a-half weeks pay? It's a very good deal. The most any other firm's offered is five-and-a-half. It's a brilliant deal."

The deal is an improvement on this time last month, when workers said they were being offered four weeks pay for every year at the plant. It was slammed by one plant worker as "derisory".

But there were still concerns from Unite. A national spokesman for the union said yesterday: "While it is a decent package, it pales into insignificance in terms of what they are losing in future earnings if the Honda plant remained in operation for the next decade.”

Yesterday, Honda refused to share specific details of the final pay package offered to workers at the plant.

In a statement, the car giant said: " Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd has been in discussions with Unite and associate representatives regarding associate packages as part of recent collective consultation meetings, and these constructive discussions have now reached a conclusion.

“Details of this package have been shared with associates and we now move into the final phase of consultation, which includes organisational structure and identifying the impact on individual roles up until production ceases in 2021.

“It is not appropriate to share specific details of this redundancy package.

“Honda has intensified its engagement with the Swindon Task Force set up by secretary of state Greg Clark, in order to work with government and a broad range of stakeholders to mitigate the impact of this decision on our suppliers and the wider community.”

Last month, Honda confirmed its decision to stop producing cars at the South Marston plant by 2021.

Jason Smith, managing director, said at the time;“It is with a heavy heart that today we confirm the closure of Honda’s factory in Swindon. We understand the impact this decision has on our associates, suppliers and the wider community. We are committed to continuing to support them throughout the next phases of the consultation process.”

Honda blamed the decision to shut the plant on changes in global car markets, refusing to cite Brexit as a reason for the move.

Des Quinn, national officer for Unite, called the decision to shut the Swindon plant a body blow, "which is nothing short of a betrayal of the workforce, customers and the wider supply chain".