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16/02/2009
BMW Axe 850 Jobs At Cowley Plant
German car manufacturer, BMW, has announced it is to axe 850 jobs at its Mini factory in Cowley, near Oxford.
The firm announced the workers will be laid off as the company announced the slowdown in demand for cars due to the economic downturn.
Weekend agency staff will be affected by the news, and the cuts are to come into force on March 2. The Cowley factory employs a total of 4,500 staff, and agency staff make up almost a third of the workforce.
The carmaker added that it identified 150 surplus workers at its Mini plant in Swindon, and said the workers will be offered a transfer to work in Oxford.
"Mini plant Oxford will be bringing in a new shift pattern in response to continuing volatile market conditions," a BMW statement said.
"As of Monday 2 march, the plant will go from a three-shift to a two-shift pattern, operating five days per week instead of the current seven."
The statement continued: "The company regrets that this change will result in the release of around 850 agency workers from the business."
The spokesman also said there were "no current plans" to make permanent staff redundant.
BMW had been in discussions with Unite union representatives over changes to shift patterns at the plant, from three shifts a day to seven days a week.
The factory had also started a week-long halt to car production in response to the decline in motor sales caused by the recession.
Meanwhile, in December, 300 agency staff were told there would be no more work available for them at the plant after the Christmas holiday.
(JM/KMcA)
The firm announced the workers will be laid off as the company announced the slowdown in demand for cars due to the economic downturn.
Weekend agency staff will be affected by the news, and the cuts are to come into force on March 2. The Cowley factory employs a total of 4,500 staff, and agency staff make up almost a third of the workforce.
The carmaker added that it identified 150 surplus workers at its Mini plant in Swindon, and said the workers will be offered a transfer to work in Oxford.
"Mini plant Oxford will be bringing in a new shift pattern in response to continuing volatile market conditions," a BMW statement said.
"As of Monday 2 march, the plant will go from a three-shift to a two-shift pattern, operating five days per week instead of the current seven."
The statement continued: "The company regrets that this change will result in the release of around 850 agency workers from the business."
The spokesman also said there were "no current plans" to make permanent staff redundant.
BMW had been in discussions with Unite union representatives over changes to shift patterns at the plant, from three shifts a day to seven days a week.
The factory had also started a week-long halt to car production in response to the decline in motor sales caused by the recession.
Meanwhile, in December, 300 agency staff were told there would be no more work available for them at the plant after the Christmas holiday.
(JM/KMcA)
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