BMW staff go for post jobs

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yourto ... post_jobs/

By George Hamilton »


Workers at Oxford’s Mini Plant are taking advantage of their long Christmas break by getting second jobs as posties, it emerged tonight.

Production staff the BMW Mini Plant in Cowley have been told they will not be required for nearly a month from Sunday, December 7.

The extended break – which has been increased by 11 days – will follow a shutdown at the plant this weekend.

The shutdown was the first time workers have been asked not to come in because of a fall in demand for the made-to-order car.

Workers will still receive their basic pay over the Christmas break, but some have decided to use the time to earn extra cash for the festive season.

Bridgett Harrison-Steele, landlady of the Bullnose Morris pub, which is used by a lot of the plant’s workers, said: “A lot of them are getting extra work because they know they are shut for four weeks.

“I know there are people going to Royal Mail because they take on temporary workers over Christmas.

“There is a positive feel about it at the moment. They just don’t want to be bored – four weeks is a long time.”

Hundreds of workers will return to the factory this morning following the weekend shutdown.

On Saturday the Oxford Mail revealed 290 agency staff will lose their jobs following a plummet in UK sales of the car in October – 40 per cent down on the same month last year.

Agency staff – who make up 30 per cent of the factory’s total workforce of 4,700 – are expected to find out which of them will no longer have jobs on Thursday.

People losing their jobs will work their last shifts on Friday, December 5 – two days before the Christmas break begins.

A BMW spokesman said there were no current plans to make permanent staff redundant.

Bernard Moss, union convener for the plant, said: “It is not a very nice time because of the job losses. The Mini has weathered the economic downturn better than a lot of car companies. We are fortunate in that respect.”

BMW workers who return after Christmas will also find just over an hour has been removed from each weekday shift and a Friday night late shift has also been axed.

A BMW spokesman said the shift pattern changes were “a temporary measure to allow us to better match market needs with production capabilities”.

She added the company still expected to produce about 237,000 cars this year – the same amount of cars as last year.

[swoosta]

I used to collect from a firm and they took the mick out of my job and how unskilled postmen were.. until their firm was shutting and they asked if there were any jobs going!

[norbert]

I used to collect from a firm and they took the mick out of my job and how unskilled postmen were.. until their firm was shutting and they asked if there were any jobs going!

that's all the stuff that has been stirred up over the strike

[baldrick]

I don't think these guys will be able to get Xmas casaual jobs at RM now.
Xmas casual vacancies are advertised in September, and interviews and tests take place in October.
RM will have already selected the people they want and given them their starting dates.