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 ...
That's why you tell the person to be terminated to clean out his/her desk while the security guy watches, and then have said security guy walk the ex-employee off the premises. It seems brutal and undignified, but the alternative invites nothing but trouble in too many instances. It's often cheaper to do that and mail them two weeks’ pay.
We like our 08 550i with the sport package. Handles great and gets good mileage for a 8 cylinder.
And you chose not to prosecute the former employee for the illegality of stealing 30 grand? Why?
And yes, I believe that even with the potential for loss, businesses have as much a moral obligation to inform their employees as the employees have, to inform each other
of a parting of the ways. Calls for “loyalty” flip both ways too.
This talk about employees who damage corporate assets has a solution: the law. If the company doesn’t choose to pursue it, that’s their problem.
The person wasn’t prosecuted. He was given the choice to go to court or give up money he had on the books to cover the cost, which included the re-design of the product. I understand what you are saying but at times, circumstances don’t fit all models and hard choices must be made.
They work for an agency so they are temps anyway, they could have been let go any time.
Pointed stick? Oh, oh, oh. We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you eh? Well I'll tell you something my lad. When you're walking home tonight and some great homicidal maniac comes after you with a bunch of loganberries, don't come crying to me!
Excellent choice...
I am hoping the 730d diesel makes it here in the next couple of years. I could never stomach the looks of the e65/e66 (2002-2008 7 series) so I stuck with a 2001 750. But this new 7 looks like it could be a keeper..
Hubby still has his 735i. Right now it’s been in the shop for a week. The battery keeps going dead even after having a new battery installed. I’m thinking it’s the alternator.
BMW probably knew that the union thugs would get the employees to sabotage the plant if given time on the job after notice of the RIF.
British unions are why BMW sold Land Rover...never could get satisfactory work or acceptance of changes out of them. That's why they went with the Mini and a totally new plant with new employees.
Its been extremely successful....I've owned a Mini S since early 2003 - just threw a few mods at it and now have 215HP and it's an absolute hoot to drive - poor man's Porsche.
Get a new dealer - or an independent shop. The first thing to check if a battery goes dead, and it’s under 5 years old, is alternator output....takes 3 minutes!
Well, at least they didn’t throw shoes or poop!..................
It’s a 1992 and it’s at an independent shop. Our neighbor owned the shop up until last year. We are giving the new guy a shot at it, but after a week, I think this will be his last shot. :0)
I miss my "realest" BMW of all time...an 1985 M6 gray mkt. euro. model - with engine mods to get it to about 320HP. talk about "viseral" - that was a snarly beast. Never should have sold it.
I'm now excited as a kid with a new toy - picking up a lightly used 335i coupe this week and driving it up the coast from california.
Every layoff I’ve seen the people get mere minutes notice. Generally it’s either a meeting in the late morning, or they intercept the people on the way into office. No reason to screw around, get it over with.
Best BMW news in recent history: They FINALLY got rid of Chris Bangle. But whatever took them so long?
A Euro M6 modded out...
Man, if there was ever a car to kick one self in the ass for selling, that is it...
I have a 2001 750, a 1984 733i and a 1986 745i turbo currently. Sold others myself, only one I really miss is my 78 320 I had all prepped out, it was a sweet ride in it's day.
Only problem is that Bangle was part of the issue, Hoff (can't remember his name) is staying, say it in Roundel. He is the other have of the “butt” team.
But the new F01 7 looks pretty sweet, so maybe they will get back in our good graces...
Have him go to Bimmerboard.com and poke around for ideas, and he can get with me if its a first generation 735 (e23), that's my forte...
Ahh, it’s a 1992. Bet its a drain in the system, but a bad alternator or voltage rgualtor are equally possible.
There are some pretty good e32 guys on the board I mentioned, it is pretty clear cut on where to go even has a search function.
I thought the Mini plant at Cowley (near Oxford) was the old MG/BritishLeyland/Rover factory. (I toured that plant in 1994 just after BMW announced its ill-fated - and ill-conceived - purchase of Rover.) I can imagine, though, that BMW tore up the old union contracts and brought in many new workers.
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