Posted on 02/16/2009 10:07:39 AM PST by Steelfish
February 16, 2009
BMW to cut 850 jobs at Oxford Mini plant
Marcus Leroux and Jenny Booth
BMW, the German vehicle maker, today announced plans to lay off 850 weekend agency staff at its Mini factory in Cowley, near Oxford, as the slowdown in demand for cars worsens.
Agency workers leaving Cowley this morning expressed their anger at being given just one hour’s notice of losing their job. The company made the announcements just as the staff affected were finishing their shift.
"It’s a disgrace. I feel as though I’ve been used. We should have been given one month’s notice, not one hour," said one worker.
John Cunningham, who has worked at the factory for more than two years, said he felt betrayed. "We’ve been given a week’s pay for an enforced week off, which I suppose is a week’s notice. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me and my family. It’s very scary."
Union sources said workers booed and threw apples and oranges at managers after being told the news.
(Excerpt) Read more at business.timesonline.co.uk ...
Why? So they could REALLY trash the place?
OK, make it an even 1,000 jobs.
As if BMS wanted to do this.....(eyes rolling)
That was an unprofessional thing to do. They could have given the courtesy 2 week notice.
LOL! If you’re gonna buy a BMW product, buy a real one. :0)
I’m sure there were valid reasons for cutting these people, but an hour’s notice is bullsh*t.
Apples and oranges? I guess they didn’t get the memo. The chic thing to do these days is to throw your shoes.
I never gave notice to anyone I fired.
It was obvious when I handed them 2 checks in the middle of the week if it was after wednesday or one check between monday and wednesday.
No. When the job cut plan was first drafted, the initial plan was to cut 525 jobs. That didn't save enough, so it was increased to 735 jobs. The final revised version has upped it to 850 positions , which is just the right number.
It says they are weekend agency staff. Doesn’t that mean they really work for someone else?
Wise to not give the union thugs time to plan sabotage.
They don't wear them in Miss.
Forgot to mention, at the very infancy of the cost reduction program, BMW wanted to eliminate only 330 mid and lower level manager.
manager = managers.
Yes an hour’s notice was bogus...BMW had to known somewhat beforehand that they needed to lay off people.
They probably will bring in Third Worlders next week...
Woops. I take that back. This is the UK.
Well, they could have thrown their dentures, but.....
...workers then immediately collected up the apples and oranges as they realized it would not be a good time to waste food.....
It seems more like a week's notice, but it's still a tough pill to swallow.
I disagree. I’ve been layed of twice in 40 years. We had heard that layoffs may be coming. The layoffs came on a Friday morning, not notice. Two weeks notice would not have accomplished a thing other than problems in production. If you are going to layoff employees, get it over with and get on with business.
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