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The latest ‘Mini’ adventure

February 17, 2009 3 comments

BBC news has reported 850 job loses from BMWs Mini plant in Oxford. The site has laid off all its casual and temporary workers and stopped all weekend working.

Unions and other people have described this move as disgraceful. In the mean time BMW have identified 150 surplus staff in Swindon and are transferring them to Oxford.

This seems like good practice to me when things get tight financially surplus labour requirements have to cease. Temporary workers are exactly that, temporary. However it will have a profound impact on the economy in Oxford.

Work at the Cowley plant will not restart until 23 February. The change in shift patterns and the resulting job losses, will come into action on 2 March 2009.

“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 company regrets that this change will result in the release of around 850 agency workers from the business,” it added.

Good luck former Mini agency staff, use your skills elsewhere, set up your own businesses, take the retraining on offer whatever you do, don’t sit back and wait for Mini to re-employ you, it may not happen for a long time.